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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #281210
Title: Sugar beet germplasm evaluated for rhizomania and storage resistance in Idaho, 2011

Author
item Strausbaugh, Carl
item Panella, Leonard

Submitted to: Plant Disease Management Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2012
Publication Date: 8/10/2012
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A., Panella, L.W. 2012. Sugar beet germplasm evaluated for rhizomania and storage resistance in Idaho, 2011. Plant Disease Management Reports. 6:FC086.

Interpretive Summary: Rhizomania caused by the Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) is a worldwide problem that can lead to loss of tonnage and lower percent sucrose. BNYVV can also reduce the storability of roots. Thus identifying germplasm and cultivars with resistance to BNYVV and good storability is the primary management option. In this study, germplasm developed by the USDA-ARS Ft. Collins sugarbeet program was screened for resistance to both BNYVV and fungal rot in storage. Many of the germplasm entries exhibited some level of resistance to both problems, but entry 6 performed similar to the BNYVV resistant checks and was also one of the top entries in storage. The top performing lines will be investigated further and may serve as new sources of resistance to help manage BNYVV and reduce storage losses in sugarbeet roots.

Technical Abstract: Rhizomania caused by the Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) is a worldwide problem that can lead to loss of tonnage and lower percent sucrose in the field. BNYVV can also reduce the storability of roots. To identify germplasm with resistance to these problems, 14 sugarbeet germplasm lines developed by the USDA-ARS Ft. Collins sugarbeet program were screened in a field experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications. During the growing season plants were evaluated for foliar rhizomania symptoms. At harvest on 29 September, roots were evaluated for rhizomania symptoms and then placed into an indoor commercial sugarbeet storage building in Paul, ID. Foliar symptoms ranged from 0% for one of the resistant checks to 99% for the susceptible check, indicating good separation of germplasm for BNYVV resistance should have been possible in the field study. BNYVV root symptoms ranged from a low of 14 for a resistant check to a high of 25 for one of the susceptible entries at harvest. Fungal growth on the root surface in storage ranged from a low of 21% for an entry with good storability to a high of 100% for the BNYVV susceptible check. Entry 6 ranked among the best entries for all variables indicating it should be investigated further as a potential source of good resistance to these problems. Incorporating better resistance to BNYVV and good storability into commercial sugarbeet cultivars should allow for increased yields in the field and improved recovery of sucrose from roots in storage.