Journal of Sugar Beet
Year:2002 | Volume:18 | Issue:1|Papers Count:11

They are few reports on the effect of municiple compost on the soil properties, quality and quantity of sugarbeet. The aim of this study was to obtain information about municipile compost on the soil properties, quality & quantity of of sugar beet. A field study was conducted at Baraan Rsearch Station with sugar beet-wheat rotation in permanent plots. The experimental design was factorial combination with 0, 25 & 50 tonlha municiple compost and 0, 60 & 120 kg/ha nitrogen at four replication. Compost chemical analysis showed that the lead level was higher than the permissible level. The effect of municiple compost was significant on P, K, Fe, Zn, Cu & Pb in soil. At the second years the effect of nitrogen wasn't significant on root and sugar yield, because of high N-N03 in irrigation water. Application of municiple compost is not recommended before planting of sugar beet, because of increase soil nitrate content decrease of sugar yield.

A diallel cross analysis was used to estimate general and specific combining ability of resistance to cercospora leaf spot in six lines of sugar beet. The parents and 15 hybrids (F1) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with four replications at Safiabad Agricultural Research Center. A mixture of cercospora agent was grown in the laboratory in V8A media. The infection was created in "Khusestan", in 2001 by three times sprays. Genetic parameters were estimated by Griffing, Jinks and Hyman methods. The results showed that both additive and non-additive genetic effects contributed to the expression of this trait, but the portion of additive and heritable effects of genes are more important. Therefore, there is a relative dominance in genetic control of leaf spot infection. Broad sense and narrow sense heritability were 99% and 79%, respectively. Because of a high amount of additive gene effects and rather high narrow sense heritability, the selection efficiency would be successful in cercocpora leaf spot resistance. The results also indicated that the resistance to this infection could be controlled by recessive genes. Parents 7617 and 261 with less infection intensities have general combining abilities in resistance, so they are suitable parents for resistance increase and can be used in breeding program.

This study was conducted over a three-year period (1998, 1999 and 2000) to evaluate some drought tolerance indices and their relations with sugar yield in some sugar beet genotypes under early season drought and non-drought conditions. The experimental design was a split plot with a randomized complete block. The main plots consisted of two irrigation regimes: non-stress and water stress in early season. Subplots consisted of nine sugar beet genotypes. Six genotypes were common in three years. The indices that were studied include difference between white sugar yield in stress condition and non-stress condition, ratio of white sugar yield in stress condition to non-stress condition, stress susceptibility index, mathematical and geometric mean of white sugar yield in stress and non-stress conditions and stress tolerance index. The mathematical and geometric mean of white sugar yield in stress and non-stress conditions predicted white sugar yield in stress and non-stress conditions better than other indices. The results showed that applying the ratio of white sugar yield in stress to non-stress conditions and mathematical mean white sugar yield simultaneously in stress and non-stress conditions were useful for determining suitable genotype in each condition (stress and non-stress). Also when we emphasis for finding suitable genotypes in drought stress, the ratio of white sugar yield in stress condition to non-stress and white sugar yield of genotypes in stress condition must be used together. Among six common genotypes, MSTC2 and 7233.P3 were introduced as drought tolerance sources in breeding program.

Extinction coefficient (k) is an important index that shows the rate of light decrease in canopy. Net biomass accumulation is linearly related to cumulative light interception. The slope of this relationship is termed radiation use efficiency. A split plot experiment within randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in April 2001 in Sugar beet Research station in Kamal Abad, Karaj. The main plots were sugar beet plant densities (Dl=80000, D2=100000, D3=120000 p/ha) and subplots were nitrogen fertilizer in three levels (NO=100, Nl=200, N2=300 kg N/ha). The plots were sampled 11 times during growth season and leaf area index, radiation use efficiency, extinction coefficient and total shoot biomass were measured. There was no significant difference in Radiation use efficiency among the treatments and it was about 0.008 kilogram per Meter Square. The extinction coefficient was about 0.56. The effect of treatments on leaf area index and total dry weight wasn’t significant, however the most LAI in plant density treatment was related to 80000 plants per hectare and among nitrogen fertilizer treatment was related to 300 kg/ha nitrogen. 80000 plants/ha with 200 kg/ha nitrogen and 100000 plants/ha with 300 kg/ha nitrogen had the most top dry matter.

Determination of an optimum sample size for the evaluation of sugar beet quality is of vital importance. A desirable sugar beet sample could represent confidently the sugar content and quality of delivered beets to the sugar factories. This experiment was carried out at Research Station of Kamalshahr, Karadj, Iran. The experimental field was about 2000 m2 with the distance between rows and plants being 60 and 20 cm, respectively. A triploid multigeram variety (IC1) was used in this study. During the growth period, 180 kg/ha nitrogen was utilized at two times. Half of N was applied pre sowing and half of N as the top dress. The experiment was conducted by controlling disease, pests, and irrigation. Treatments included pulps of n1=5 to n16=80 roots as: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 roots after harvest. Pulps were supplied for each treatment and then chemically analyzed. The results showed that for a proper evaluation of sugar content in semiarid regions like Karaj, a minimum of 65 beet roots is required to limit the sugar content fluctuation. Therefore, for an accurate estimation of sugar content of a heterogeneous variety such as IC1, at least 65 beet roots might be considered to represent a real sample of a sugar beet population.

To optimize the field evaluation of resistance to Cercospora leaf spot, 12 sugar beet cultivars were evaluated under field conditions in Gharakhil, Ghaemshahr at l5-days intervals. Measurements were carried out based on KWS 1-9 and Agronomia 1-5 scales. Disease severities were graded based on total plants per plot and also based on means of 5 randomly selected plants in each plot. Analysis of each recording date and also multivariate analysis of variance based on Lambda statistics indicated that measurements at each stage are not reliable for resistance evaluation and infection severity should be recorded during the growing season. So genotypes comparison should be done based on the disease trend during the season. Also, it seems that plot grading is as accurate method for measurement of infection as single plant grading. Therefore, it can be used to facilitate the evaluation of resistance.

Black bean aphid is widely distributed in the world. It has several hosts from weeds and cultivated plants. This aphid passes the winter as egg on some permanent weeds, box tree and etc. Young wingless hatches from the eggs in the spring and the winged aphids after appearance migrate to seed beet fields. After producing some generations, they fly to the various summer hosts such as bean, sugar beet and weeds. Damage to tissue of the lower surface of the leaf, loss of sap and injection of toxic saliva curls the leaves severely and causes wilting and stunting of the plants. As the aphids multiply, leaf curling increases so that the aphids are sheltered, thus adding to the difficulty of killing them with insecticide. Colonies in the hearts of sugar beet injure the young leaves. Damage to young inner leaves is always more severe than to the older and outer leaves. A sticky fluid known as honeydew, which is excreted from gut of the aphid, coats the leaves and encourages growth of sooty moulds preventing photosynthesis. On seed crops, A. fabae feeds also on the flower heads and prevents them from normal development. The flowering shoots of sugar beet and terminal buds of beans are especially susceptible to infestation and are covered with aphids in a short time. This aphid can limit the seed production. High infestation reduces the seed yield and quality of the seed. During a mild winter and a dry spring, the population of this aphid increases, therefore the percentage of infested plants is to rise and fall in different years. Control is achieved by spraying with oxydimethon metyl (1liter per hectar) and thiomethon (1liter per hectar).