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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet and Potato Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #209498

Title: Effect of scapling on root respiration rate

Author
item Fugate, Karen
item BREDEHOEFT, MARK - S MN BEET SUGAR COOP

Submitted to: Extension Reports
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2007
Publication Date: 2/16/2007
Citation: Klotz, K.L., Bredehoeft, M. 2007. Effect of scapling on root respiration rate. Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative 2006 Research Report. p 54-57.

Interpretive Summary: Removal of a small portion of the upper crown of the sugarbeet taproot improves the initial quality of sugarbeet roots by removing tissue that is relatively low in sugar but high in impurities that hamper sugarbeet processing. The effect on root quality after roots have been stored for varying durations of time, however, is less clear since the injury caused by tissue removal provides an entry site for disease-causing organisms. Storage properties of roots with varying amounts of the upper crown removed were determined throughout 152 days in controlled temperature storage. Removal of crown tissue had no effect on any storage property measured, although storage properties were influenced by the duration of storage. While the results of this study suggest that root quality and storageability were not affected by the extent of crown removal during defoliation, small differences in quality and storageability were likely to have been undetectable due to the small sample size and limited scope of the experiment.

Technical Abstract: Scalping improves root quality at harvest since impurities such as potassium, sodium, amino nitrogen and invert sugars that hinder sugarbeet processing are concentrated in the upper root crown. The effect of scalping on root storage properties, however, is less clear. A small study was conducted to determine the effect of scalping on root respiration rate and sucrose, glucose, fructose and raffinose concentrations during storage. Roots with approximately 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 inch of the upper crown removed during mechanical defoliation were stored at 6oC and 95% relative humidity for up to 152 days. Respiration rates were measured after 13, 32, 89 and 152 days in storage. Carbohydrate concentrations were determined after 15, 91, and 152 days in storage. The removal of 0.25, 0.5 and 1 inch of the upper crown had no statistically significant effect on respiration rate, sucrose content, glucose content, fructose content and raffinose content during storage, relative to roots with intact crowns. All measured storage properties, however, were significantly affected by time in storage. While the data suggests that root quality and storageability were not affected by the extent of crown removal during defoliation, small differences in quality and storageability were likely to have been undetectable due to the small sample size and limited scope of the experiment.