THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF FOLIAR FERTILIZATION OF SUGAR BEET WITH MARINE CALCITE

In 2010-2012, in Sahryń (Lubelskie Voivodeship), a field experiment was carried out, the aim of which was to assess the cost-effectiveness of foliar nutrition of sugar beet with marine calcite Herbagreen Basic containing silicon. The fertilizer was applied in two variants: 1) 1 kg/ha at the 4-6 leaf stage of sugar beet (BBCH 14-16) + 2 kg/ha 21 days later; 2) 2 kg/ha at the 4-6 leaf stage of sugar beet (BBCH 14-16) + 2 kg/ha 21 days later; the effects were compared with the control (without foliar nutrition with marine calcite). Additionally, in the years 2011-2012, an identical experiment was carried out with another sugar beet cultivar. For each combination, the gross production value, foliar nutrition costs, the net production value and profitability index were calculated. The total cost of application of foliar calcite was 190 and 240 PLN/ha. The gross production value of sugar beet in experiment 1, on average over three years of research, increased in combination 1 by 24.8% and in combination 2 by 25.6% compared to the control; in experiment 2, on average for 2 years of research, in combination 1 by 15.7%, and in combination 2 by 15.0%. The increase in the net production value in experiment 1 amounted to 22.8 and 23.2% respectively, and in experiment 2 - 13.9 and 12.8%. The indicator of the profitability of foliar nutrition with marine calcite in experiment 1, on average, for the period 2010-2012, amounted to 12.6 in combination 1 and 10.3 in combination 2. In experiment 2, the index of profitability of foliar nutrition, on average, for the period 2011-2012, reached the value of 8.96 for object 1 and 6.77 for object 2.

A Novel Penicillium sp. Causes Rot in Stored Sugar Beet Roots in Idaho

Penicillium vulpinum along with a number of other fungi can lead to rot of stored sugar beet roots. However, Penicillium isolates associated with necrotic lesions on roots from a recent sugar beet storage study were determined to be different from P. vulpinum and other recognized Penicillium species. Phylogenies based on sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-5.8S, β-tubulin (BenA), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) DNA regions indicate that these isolates are novel, but most closely related to the following Penicillium spp. in the section Fasiculata: P. aurantiogriseum, P. camemberti, and P. freii. Macro- and micromorphological data also support designating these isolates as a new species for which we propose the name, Penicillium cellarum sp. nov. Inoculation studies with the P. cellarum isolates on roots of the commercial sugar beet cultivar B-7 led to the formation of necrotic lesions 23 to 25 mm in diameter after 86 days in storage. These lesions were similar to those observed on sugar beet roots in commercial storage piles. These data indicate that P. cellarum is a pathogen which can cause root rot in stored sugar beet roots.

Effects of Salinity and Nitrate Nitrogen on Growth, Ion Accumulation, and Photosynthesis of Sugar Beet

Effects of salinity and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) on growth, ion accumulation, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and photosynthetic characteristics of sugar beet cultivar KWS3418 were investigated in a greenhouse experiment. Seedlings were exposed to 0 and 1% NaCl in 0.5, 5 or 10 mM NO3--N treatments for 25 days. The results showed that increasing NO3- supply improved shoot and root dry weights, decreased the Cl- concentration in leaves and roots regardless of NaCl concentration. Higher NO3--N supply also increased concentration of chlorophyll, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), actual PSII efficiency (ΦPSII) in leaves and soluble sugar concentration in roots. The results indicate that increasing NO3- supply can help sugar beet to mediate ion homeostasis, to increase the ability of photosynthesis, and subsequently to increase the growth under high salinity. The interactive effects of salinity and nitrate availability can significantly increase soluble sugar in roots of sugar beet.

Sugar Beet Cultivar Evaluation for Storability and Rhizomania Resistance

To reduce storage losses and improve resistance to rhizomania caused by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), studies were initiated to establish a storage cultivar selection program. In 2006 and 2007, 30 or more commercial sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) cultivars were grown in soil naturally infested with BNYVV. At harvest, two root samples from each plot were collected and used to establish percent sugar. Additional samples were placed on top of an indoor pile (set point 1.7°C) and inside an outdoor pile in a randomized complete block design with four replications. After 142 and 159 days in indoor storage, sucrose reduction ranged from 13 to 90% in 2007 and 57 to 100% in 2008. Outdoor storage sucrose reduction ranged from 13 to 32% in 2007 and 28 to 60% in 2008. An average of 31 and 45% of the root surface was covered with fungal growth in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Cultivars that retained the most sucrose had resistance to BNYVV and the least fungal growth and weight loss. Indoor storage with BNYVV-infested roots allowed for the most consistent cultivar separation and will potentially lead to selection of cultivars for improved storability and rhizomania resistance.

Integrated Control of Root and Crown Rot in Sugar Beet: Combined Effects of Cultivar, Crop Rotation, and Soil Tillage

Rhizoctonia solani (AG 2-2IIIB), causing root and crown rot in sugar beet, poses an increasing problem in Europe. Agronomic measures have to be optimized to control disease and minimize yield and quality loss, because no fungicides can be applied. Resistant sugar beet cultivars have been introduced to reduce disease occurrence. Furthermore, crop rotation can influence R. solani occurrence. In contrast to other cereals, maize serves as a host of the fungus. In order to study the combined effect of these factors, a series of four field trials was established with crop rotations varying in the proportion of maize and comparing a resistant with a susceptible sugar beet cultivar in 2001–02 in southern Germany. Within crop rotations, cultivation methods were varied in the form of soil tillage, intercrops, or both. Sugar beet cultivar and crop rotation had the main impact on disease severity and sugar yield. With increasing proportion of maize, sugar yield decreased, whereas cultivation method had only a minor impact. Plowing directly before sugar beet increased sugar yield only within the unfavorable maize-maize-sugar beet rotation compared with mulching. These results give strong evidence that crop rotation of sugar beet with nonhost plants and cultivation of resistant sugar beet cultivars are adequate means for integrated R. solani control.

Economic Evaluation of Glyphosate-Resistant and Conventional Sugar Beet

Field experiments were conducted near Scottsbluff, NE, in 2001 and 2002 to compare economic aspects of glyphosate applied to different glyphosate-resistant sugar beet cultivars with that of conventional herbicide programs applied to near-equivalent, non–glyphosate-resistant conventional cultivars. Glyphosate applied two or three times at 2-wk intervals, beginning when weeds were 10 cm tall, provided excellent weed control, yield, and net economic return regardless of the glyphosate-resistant sugar beet cultivar. All conventional herbicide treatments resulted in similar net economic returns. Although the conventional sugar beet cultivars ‘HM 1640’ and ‘Beta 4546’ responded similarly to herbicide treatments with respect to sucrose content, ‘Beta 4546RR’ produced roots with 1% more sucrose than ‘HM 1640RR’. When averaged over herbicide treatments, a producer planting Beta 4546RR could afford to pay US $185/ha more for glyphosate-resistant technology as could a producer planting HM 1640RR. When averaged over cultivars and herbicide treatments, it is estimated that a producer could afford to pay an additional US $385/ha for glyphosate-resistant technology without decreasing net return.

EFFECTIVENESS OF HERBICIDES APPLICATION IN SOWINGS OF SUGAR BEET

The article presents the results of a 3-year test of the herbicides Lontrel Grand, VDG, Piraklid, VDG and Lontrel-300, BP, used to reduce the clogging of sugar beet crops by perennial dicotyledonous root weeds and increase crop yields. In Ryazan region the conditions these malignant plants are found in almost all fields sown with sugar beets, which is particularly vulnerable because being a root crop it cannot seriously compete with weeds. With a strong contamination of the crop by perennial dicotyledonous root shoot weeds its yield may decrease by more than 50%. Tests of drugs were carried out on sugar beet cultivar Ocean sowings on the experimental field of the institute in four replications. The size of the experimental plots is 50 m2. The soil of the experimental plot is dark gray forest heavy loam, the content of humus is 3.8%, pH is 5.8 ... 6.0, the forecrop is winter wheat. The tested herbicides were introduced with the “Agrotop” backpack compression sprayer equipped with a two-meter boom, consumption rate of the working solution was 200 l / ha. Twice sprayed in the phase of cotyledon leaves and 2 - 3 pairs of real leaves of the crop, once – in the phase of 2 - 3 pairs of leaves. The development phase of perennial dicotyledonous offset weeds during the first spraying is the leaf rosette, during the second spraying the length of the sow-thistles and thistles is 10 ... 20 cm. With the level of weediness of the crops by the Cirsium arvense, Sonchus arvensis to 26 pcs / m2 the studied preparations reduced the weediness of the crops of these weeds by 85.0 - 92.0% and increased beet root crops by 2.8 - 4.4 t / ha.