Sugarbeet storage rot in the Red River Valley, 1974-75

Abstract

Each season rot of sugarbeets in storage accounts for losses of sugar. Estimates of the amount of this loss have not been based on sample data. Our objectives were to sample and examine roots as they began the factory process, to determine the amount of rotted tissue, identify the causal pathogens and, on the basis of the data, to estimate losses in the Red River Valley. Materials and Methods The survey was made from November 6, 1974, through March 12, 1975, at the American Crystal Sugar Company factory, Moorhead, MN. Samples were removed from the picking table on alternate days. Two samples were taken at randomly selected 12-h intervals on each sample day. Sample size was a standard tare bag of 10-17 kg (22-37 Ibs). Samples from 6 factories in the Red River Valley were compared on January 24, 1975. During a 10-minute period four samples were ob tained at the picking table of each factory. The roots were returned to the laboratory, weighed, quartered longitudinally, divided into topping classes, and the decayed portions removed and weighed. Frozen tissue also was removed and weighed. The roots were classified into those with no crown tissue removed, all crown tissue removed, or partial crown removed. Rotted or frozen tissue was expressed as percent by weight. The tons of rotted tissue that were processed daily was determined by multiplying the percent rot derived from the sample times the tons of production for that particu lar day. This same sample percent also was used for estimating rot on the following day when no sample was taken. Rotted tissues from the crown, pith, body, and tail of the root were examined for pathogens. Rotted tissue samples of uniform size were removed with a cork borer and eight slices from each portion of the root were plated on potato-dextrose agar. Results When this survey began on November 6, 1974, 10 tons of rotted sugarbeet tissue was being processed daily at Moorhead. The daily

Sugar beet root rot at harvest in the US Intermountain West

“…has been isolated from rotted tissue (Schneider and Whitney 1986). Phoma betae isolates were not pathogenic, but this fungus is considered to be more important on post harvest roots (Bugbee 1982;Bugbee and Cole 1976).…”

Influence of Harvest Timing, Fungicides, and Beet necrotic yellow vein virus on Sugar Beet Storage

“…Observations from both the aerial mycelium and root lesion isolations in this study suggested that B. cinerea was a more prevalent component of the sugar beet storage rot complex in Idaho indoor storage facilities (19 to 43%, depending on the isolation temperature and year in which the roots were sampled) than that described for the Red River Valley (2% of the rot tissues assayed) (8,11). Although P. betae was present in 70% of the isolations from sugar beet roots in the Red River Valley (8), this pathogen was only detected in 11 to 24% of the Idaho root isolations.…”

“…During the 1974-75 storage season in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota, the total loss of sucrose in sugar beet storage was estimated at >7,700 tons (11). The three primary fungal pathogens involved were P. betae, Penicillium vulpinum (Cooke & Massee) Seifert & Samson (formerly P. claviforme Bainier), and B. cinerea (teleomorph B. fuckeliana) (11). The prevalence of Phoma betae was slightly greater than that of Penicillium vulpinum and both were more prevalent than B. cinerea (11).…”

“…The three primary fungal pathogens involved were P. betae, Penicillium vulpinum (Cooke & Massee) Seifert & Samson (formerly P. claviforme Bainier), and B. cinerea (teleomorph B. fuckeliana) (11). The prevalence of Phoma betae was slightly greater than that of Penicillium vulpinum and both were more prevalent than B. cinerea (11). In 1982 in the Red River Valley, Phoma betae and Penicillium vulpinum were found in 70% of sugar beet rot isolations, whereas Fusarium spp.…”

“…In Idaho, the average annual cost of beet storage losses from 2010 to 2012 was $6.40/ton of roots harvested, and an estimated 4.8 to 5.8 million tons of roots were harvested annually during this period in Idaho (26). Thus, millions of dollars can be lost to storage problems annually in Idaho and across the United States (8,11,26,56).…”