University of Idaho Sugarbeet Variety Performance and Emergence Testing, 2001.

John J. Gallian and Tiffany McKay
University of Idaho
Twin Falls Research and Extension Center
November 19, 2001

The University of Idaho sugarbeet variety program in 2001 consisted of field testing standard varieties, rhizomania resistant varieties, transgenic varieties, and commercial variety emergence and seedling vigor. The University of Idaho plants the standard variety trials at three locations, and the best two locations, as determined by the growers’ Snake River Sugarbeet Research and Seed Committee, are harvested for data. Entries into the standard variety trials are coordinated with Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, Oregon. Data for commercial varieties are combined for the two Idaho locations and one Oregon location each year and across two years. All variety test data are distributed to growers as a resource for choosing varieties to plant.

In accordance with the Snake River Sugarbeet Research and Seed Committee variety approval policy, the standard variety trial data from each location, including the Oregon State University location, are used for calculating minimum variety standards. The variety testing data and variety calculations are made available to and used by the Seed Committee to determine varieties to be approved for sale in the Idaho, Oregon and Washington sugarbeet growing areas that deliver to the Amalgamated Sugar Company.

Standard Variety Trials (Tables 1-8)

Standard variety trials were planted on growers fields in Cassia County and Jerome County, and the University of Idaho Research and Extension Center at Aberdeen. The trials in Jerome County and at Aberdeen were chosen for harvest. Both tests were sprinkler irrigated, using wheel lines in the Jerome County test and handlines at Aberdeen. All varieties were entered into the curly top nursery in Twin Falls, Idaho, operated by the Beet Sugar Development Foundation (BSDF) and were rated for resistance to curly top virus disease.

The same commercial variety and seedlot is used in the University of Idaho variety and emergence tests, the Oregon State University variety tests, and the Idaho Department of Agriculture Seed Laboratory's official germination tests. Seed sampling was coordinated with the Idaho Department of Agriculture, and the commercial sugarbeet seed used in the variety testing program was obtained at each seed company's distribution warehouse prior to growers receiving delivery. Seed of experimental varieties were obtained from the seed companies.

At each location, 22 commercial and 29 experimental varieties were planted in separate tests, which included 4 of the commercial varieties as checks in the experimental tests. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with 8 replications. Plots were 4 rows wide (22 inch row spacing) by 35 ft long at Jerome and 25 ft long at Aberdeen, with a 5 ft alley separating each tier. Plots were seeded with a cone planter at 8 seeds/ft on April 17 at Jerome and April 24 at Aberdeen, and hand thinned to an average 8 inch spacing at the 2-4 leaf stage. Standard cultural practices were maintained at both locations, including applications of Progress + Upbeet for weed control.

Immediately prior to harvest, all plots were individually evaluated for bolting and uniformity, and plots showing non-treatment effects were noted and dropped from the analysis. Plants were machine topped and the two center rows of each plot were machine harvested on October 9-10 in Aberdeen and October 16-17 in Jerome, using a 2-row Farmhand 808 harvester modified for research. Roots were weighed and 2 sugar samples per plot with a minimum of eight roots each were analyzed for percent sugar, conductivity, and nitrates at the Amalgamated Sugar Company tare laboratory at Paul, Idaho. The data were analyzed separately for each of the tests using least-squares means analysis of SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC. The commercial variety tests were combined with the Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station data and analyzed across three locations for 2001 and 6 locations for 2000 and 2001. The individual commercial and experimental tests conducted at the Malheur Experiment Station are included here courtesy of Clinton Shock, Oregon State University.

At Jerome, there was a small spot of rhizomania that affected three plots of susceptible varieties. Because it was not the intent of the trial to be testing for effects of rhizomania, those three plots were deleted from the analysis. Rhizomania had not been detected previously in the field.

Rhizomania Variety Trials (Table 9)

Rhizomania resistant varieties adapted to the Idaho-eastern Oregon growing area were tested at the College of Southern Idaho Ag Endowment Farm at Twin Falls on a field leased by the Snake River Sugarbeet Research and Seed Commitee for rhizomania research. The field had been inoculated with rhizomania and sugarbeets were grown in 2000 to establish the disease. In March, 2001, six inches of soil was removed, mixed, spread and leveled to uniformly distribute the disease inoculum. Soil was prepared by chiseling then roller harrowing twice. Twenty varieties plus 4 susceptible commercial check varieties were seeded with a cone planter at 8 seeds/ft in a randomized complete block design with 8 replications on April 26. Plots were 4 rows wide (22 inch row spacing) by 25 ft long with a 5 ft alley separating each tier. Plants were thinned at the 2-4 leaf stage to an average spacing of 8 inches. All varieties were entered into the curly top nursery in Twin Falls, Idaho, operated by the Beet Sugar Development Foundation (BSDF) and were rated for resistance to curly top virus disease.

The trial was harvested on September 24-25 using the same procedures as in the standard variety trials, except that one tare sample was taken per plot and yield data were adjusted according to the tare values. Disease was uniform and moderate throughout the test, and all plots of susceptible check varieties showed clear symptoms of rhizomania. Average root yield of the 8 highest performing varieties was 8.98 tons greater than the average of the susceptible check varieties, and the estimated recoverable sugar for the top 6 varieties averaged 2997 lb higher per acre than that of the susceptible checks.

Transgenic Variety Trials (Table 10)

A transgenic variety test was conducted at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center. The purpose of the trial was to test the performance of genetically transformed herbicide resistant sugarbeets under field conditions treated with their respective herbicides, and compared with that of standard sugarbeet varieties with standard herbicide applications. Six Roundup Ready, one Liberty Linked, and 4 standard check varieties were planted in a randomized complete block design with 8 replications. The experiment was planted with a cone planter at 8 seeds/ft on April 10. Plots were 4 rows wide (22 inch row spacing) by 25 ft long with a 5 ft alley separating each tier. Plants were thinned at the 2-4 leaf stage to an average spacing of 8 inches. All varieties were entered into the curly top nursery in Twin Falls, Idaho, operated by the Beet Sugar Development Foundation (BSDF) and were rated for resistance to curly top virus disease.

Plants were machine topped and the two center rows of each plot were machine harvested on October 2 using an 2-row research harvester. Roots were weighed and 2 sugar samples per plot with a minimum of eight roots each were analyzed by Betaseed, Inc., for sugar content, sodium, potassium and amino N.

Seed and Seedling Vigor (Tables 11-13)

The purpose of this yearly field study is to compare the emergence of commercial varieties under uniform field conditions and evaluate variability in seedling vigor among locations. These data may then be used by growers, along with the variety performance information, to aid in choosing varieties. All commercial varieties entered into the standard and rhizomania variety tests were included, and seed samples used in the variety tests were subsampled for the emergence tests.

The study was conducted at three locations: Jerome County, the Kimberly Research and Extension Center, and the College of Southern Idaho’s Ag Endowment Farm in Twin Falls. Tests were planted on April 17 at Jerome, April 10 at Kimberly, and April 26 at Twin Falls. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with 4 replications at each location. Plots were single row, 25 ft long, 100 seeds/plot. Seed was planted one inch deep using a research cone planter with Milton disk openers. All plots were sprinkler irrigated with wheel lines Jerome and hand lines at Kimberly and Twin Falls. Emergence counts were started when the first seedlings were observed to emerge and continued until no further emergence was observed. No yield data was taken on the emergence tests.

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Acknowledgement: Thanks is extended to Ron Roemer for making variety approval calculations and for assistance with harvest and data analysis.

 

2001 Variety Trials

The tables below are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to access them.  If  you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can go to www.adobe.com/products/acrobat and download a free copy of the software. 

 

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