Impact of Methanol and Glycine Betaine on Yield and Quality of Fodder Beet Genotypes (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

Two field experiments were carried out during 2018–2019 at the Hamedan and Qom sites, which are different ecological locations of Iran. Hamedan was selected as a temperate climate and Qom as semi-arid to study some of the morphological and physiological traits of fodder beet in various climatic conditions. The experimental map was designed as a split–split-plot in the form of a randomized complete block with three replications. The main plots were assigned three levels of methanol (i.e., control, 15, and 30% by volume). The sub-plots were restricted to two glycine betaine (GB) concentrations (i.e., control and four grams per liter of methanol consumed, and the sub-sub-plots consisted of six different genotypes of fodder beet). The results showed that root length, root and foliage yield/ha, as well as sugar content increased with the incremental level of methanol and/or GB concentration. Foliar application of methanol and GB also significantly changed the qualitative parameters including sodium content, catalase value, crude protein percentage, and dry matter digestibility. It should be noted that two sites differed in most of the investigated traits, so that Hamedan treatment had a more active role on fodder beet growth, yield, and quality compared with Qom. Meanwhile, there was a significant difference between fodder beet genotypes. Generally, spraying fodder beet with 15% by volume methanol or GB with concentration of four grams per liter of methanol is the recommended treatment for raising forage yield under the ecological circumstances of this research.

Evolution of Root Morphology in Table Beet: Historical and Iconographic

The Beta vulgaris complex includes sugar beet, mangel wurzel, Swiss chard, fodder beet, and table beet. Mangel wurzel and fodder beet are considered to be the same general crop type, with the former possessing lower dry matter content (<13%) than the latter. Mangel is likely derived from crosses between table beet and chard, while fodder beet may have a more recent origin, arising from crosses between mangel and sugarbeet. The table beet was derived from the wild sea beet, B. vulgaris (L.) subsp. maritima (L.) Arcang, with small non-spherical roots. Table beet is presently a popular vegetable cultivated for its pigmented roots, typically red but also yellow and other colors. Wild forms were consumed in antiquity mainly for their leaves with roots used medicinally. Beet is referred to in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the first five books of the Hebrew bible, made in Ptolomeic Egypt in the third century BCE. A beet identified as Beta maritima is included in De Material Medicus of Pedanius Dioscorides written in the first century CE, and the first illustrated version of 512, known as the Juliana Anicia Codex, includes an image with non-spherical root. Beet is mentioned in several tractates of the Talmud, a sixth century collection of history and civil law written in Babylonia. Beta maritima possesses supernumerary root cambia, which facilitated selection of swollen rooted forms. The first colored illustration of swollen rooted table beet, B. vulgaris, can be found in the 1515–1517 frescos of Raphael Sanzio and Giovanni Martina da Udine in the Villa Farnesina in Rome. Swollen roots in Roman beet are illustrated and described in the 1587 French herbal Historia Generalis Plantarum of Jacques Dalechamps. Conically shaped beet roots are found in the market painting of Franz Snijders in the 17th century. Various spherical forms of beet root are found in the work of American painter James Peale in 1826. A complete array of beet root types is found in the Benary catalog of 1876. Modern, spherical beet roots were depicted in 1936 by the Russian painter Zinaida Serebriankov, 1936. Artistic and historical representations of table beet suggest that swollen rooted forms have existed during the past five centuries, but conically shaped roots were gradually replaced by spherically shaped roots during this period.

Advanced technology of growing fodder beet seeds in the Central Forest Steppe of Ukraine

Goal. To improve the technology of growing fodder beets in the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine based on the study of agro-climatic indicators, patterns of plant growth and development. Methods. Laboratory and field, analytical, statistical. Results. The article is devoted to the theoretical and experimental substantiation of the parameters of the advanced technology of growing fodder beet seeds by spring sowing under the cover of corn. With this technology, seed bearing plants acquire new biological characteristics: before the onset of stable cooling, slightly larger woody roots with a high content of dry matter (20–22%) and sugar (16–17%) are formed with a well-developed leaf apparatus; due to the remaining stubble after harvesting cover crops (corn) increases the safety of plants in winter, which over the years of research was 89–96%, which provided a plant stand density at harvest of 177–180 thousand/ha, seed yield of 1.6–2.2 t/ha with a germination of 90–94%. Production testing of advanced technology has fully confirmed the field research. On average for two years the seed yield was 1.9 t/ha (control 1.5 t/ha), its cost decreased by 2.3 times compared to the control, the profit from the sale of seeds amounted to 7963 UAH/ha (control 2337 UAH/ha). The total profit on advanced technology, including due to the profit from the green mass of corn, amounted to 9133 UAH/ha, which is 3.9 times higher than in the control. Conclusions. In the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, it is expedient to grow fodder beet seeds according to an advanced technology, which stipulates row spacing of 60 cm, seeding rate of beet seeds per 1 m of a row 50–60 and corn 8–12; 2) harvesting corn before wintering at the time recommended for this area and depending on the purpose of use; 3) at the onset of stable cooling — hilling plants with simultaneous feeding (N40–50 P60–90 K30–50 kg/ha etc.) with paws-hillers of row cultivators (УСМК‑5.4Б, КОЗР‑5.4, etc.); 4) after overwintering — local application of nitrogen fertilizers (N80–120 kg/ha, etc.) + harrowing with heavy or medium harrows across the rows or diagonally; 5) in the stage of a well-developed rosette — application of inter-row (local) nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers (N20–30, P40–60 kg/ha, etc.) using МТЗ‑1025+УСМК‑5.4Б (КРН 56–02); 6) in the stage of mass stalking — removing of top foliage using МТЗ‑1025+КС‑2,1; 7) during flowering — two or three additional pollination.

Adaptive technology of growing mother roots and beet bearers of fodder beets

Goal. To develop on the basis of complex system of observations, estimation of agroclimatic indicators, patterns of growth and development of plants of the first and second years of life, adaptive technology of growing mother roots and seed bearers under the conditions of the Central Forest Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Laboratory, field, statistical. Results. The biological potential of modern varieties and hybrids of fodder beet to some extent is realized by using high quality seeds, which is caused by a complex of ecological-biotic and anthropogenic factors. Important factors affecting seed quality have been identified: laboratory and field germination. Its level depends on the duration of emergence and completeness of the seedlings, the uniformity of plants in the row and, ultimately, their seed productivity. The calculations of the main indicators of adaptive technology of cultivation of mother roots and seed bearers are the following: the yield of mother roots increased by 2.7 times, the preservation in storage by 7.7%, seed yield by 0.4 t/ha, germination by 8%, weight of 1000 seed clusters by 1.2 g compared to conventional technology. Conclusions. The cultivation of mother roots and seed bearers of fodder beet varieties and hybrids should be carried out according to adaptive technology, which provides: 1) sowing of seeds in the summer (early-mid June) with SST-12B seeder with a device for simultaneous separation of the main seeds by specific weight, 15–20 seeds/m, with an interval of 22.5 cm; 2) storage of mother roots in storages and containers equipped with plastic film with holes; 3) using planter VPS-2,8A and seeding on the background of 50 t/ha of manure + and design 70 × 20–70 × 30 cm; 4) seed treatment during mass formation of the stem; 5) additional pollination during the mass flowering period.