Ft. Collins sugar beet germplasm evaluated for rhizomania and storage rot resistance in Idaho, 2017

Authors: Strausbaugh, Carl; Fenwick, Ann

Submitted to: Plant Disease Management Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2018
Publication Date: 8/27/2018
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/6477309
Citation: Strausbaugh, C.A., Fenwick, A.L. 2018. Ft. Collins sugar beet germplasm evaluated for rhizomania and storage rot resistance in Idaho, 2017. Plant Disease Management Reports. 12:CF154.

Interpretive Summary: Preventing sucrose losses in storage is important to the economic viability of the sugar beet industry. Rhizomania, caused by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), is an important viral disease problem worldwide, leading to significant yield loss in both the field and storage. The primary means of controlling these problems is through host resistance. Thus, 42 USDA-ARS Ft. Collins sugar beet lines and five check cultivars were screened to characterize them for both resistance to BNYVV and storability. One entry, 20141018, performed well for all variables. This entry may serve as a starting point for identifying additional sources of resistance to BNYVV and storage rots, which will aid the sugar beet industry in improving sucrose yield and retention in commercial sugar beet cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Rhizomania caused by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) and storage losses are serious sugar beet production problems. To identify sugar beet germplasm lines with resistance to BNYVV and storage rots, 42 lines from the USDA-ARS Ft. Collins sugar beet program and five check cultivars were screened. The lines were grown in a sugar beet field infested with BNYVV during the 2017 growing season in a randomized complete block design with 6 replications. At harvest on 11 October 2017, roots were dug and evaluated for rhizomania symptoms and also placed in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage building. After 132 days in storage, samples were evaluated for the percentage of root surface area covered by fungal growth or rot. Rhizomania symptom development in the field was uniform and other disease problems were not evident in the plot area. The BNYVV susceptible check plots had 97 to 100% foliar symptoms and high root disease severity ratings. The three resistant checks had 0 to 6% foliar symptoms and low root ratings. Based on root ratings, all entries except entry 20151043PF had some level of resistance since they were all better than the susceptible checks. However, 20141018 was the only entry that performed well for all variables. 20161023PF also had a good root rating, but had considerable foliar symptoms. 20151044PFHO and 20151046PFHO had no foliar symptoms and very little storage rot, so the poor root rating may be related to inherently poor root shape and not a lack of BNYVV resistance. Twenty-six of the entries had resistance to fungal rots in storage, because they were not different from 20161014HO and Check 3. Some entries may serve as a starting point for identifying additional sources of resistance to BNYVV and storage rots.