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“Sugarbeet Report” presented by NDSU Extension, features growing tips from NDSU sugar beet specialists and researchers.
This is the Sugar Beet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season. Today, we're discussing soil borne diseases that affect sugar beets. Our guest is Ashok Chanda, extension sugar beet pathologist with the University of Minnesota Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston, Minnesota. Ashok, how is the sugar beet growing season kicked off in your area? And do the cool and wet conditions affect soil borne diseases?
Ashok Chanda:I would say it's relatively a slower start to the growing season. Some of the early planted beets are coming up well, and then most of the beets are planted in the last two weeks. They're still emerging. And, hopefully, there's not too much damage done by these heavy wind events last week. Now we're getting some moisture, but still soil is relatively cooler. The overall risk for soil borne diseases at this time is lower. But if you think about the type of diseases we have, rhizoctonia, damping off, and then rhizoctonia root rot, it's widely prevalent in our growing area. And then we can also have some ephemomyces, especially some of the later planted beets. If we get warmer temperatures right away just about two weeks after emergence, we can see some tapping off. But I would say, overall, the risk for, fisserium this year is relatively low. Like I said, a night schooler and then mostly drier. But if things change, we may see some of that as well.
Bruce Sundeen:Why is rhizoctonia a big problem, and what can growers do to manage it?
Ashok Chanda:The problem with ctonia, it has multiple hosts. So for example, you know, we're growing soybeans, dry beans, corn, and wheat in rotation with sugar beets. All these crops are a host for rhizoctonia except wheat. So which means that in any given year, you know, we have some levels of rhizoctonia present in the field. We have varieties that have very good tolerance right now in our growing areas, and the growers are doing everything that they can to manage the disease. Historically, you know, we have very good SGHIC treatments that have excellent efficacy, at least until four to five weeks after planting. But if you have a field with a history of rhizotonia and if you are doing only two to three year rotation, you have a lot of soybeans and edible beans in the rotation with sugar beets. This is where adding a in furrow fungicide like Azoxystrobin will be helpful. If you're using a weak variety for Rhizoctonia, doing a post emergence fungicide application between four and eight leaf stage will also be very helpful. You can choose a QOI fungicide like Azoxystrobin or SDHI fungicide like Excalia would be very beneficial to protect those beets from later season rhizoctonia. The goal is to keep these beets healthier and then disease free by the time you go to harvest, so that way you don't lose too much yield and quality during harvest and also when you put these beets into the storage.
Bruce Sundeen:What about managing Aphanomyces and Thesarium?
Ashok Chanda:Some of the later planted beets will be at higher risk for Effenomyces seedling diseases because when the soil is wet and warmer, it's highly conducive for this pathogen development. Historically, the seed treatment with Tachikurin is very useful, and again, for the later season Effenomyces, playing spent lime has been very beneficial. The only management option for Fusarium is actually knowing that we have Fusarium in a particular field and also choosing a tolerant variety. Unfortunately, don't have any seed treatments or fungicides for controlling Fisserium.
Bruce Sundeen:Ashok, are you offering sugar beet disease diagnosis again this year?
Ashok Chanda:The number one thing I always emphasize is actually knowing what is causing disease on the sugar beets in our fields, Right? If we don't know what we're dealing with, how do we even manage it? Again, thanks to the Sugar Beet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota. They are funding the diagnostic work, so if you suspect any kind of damage to your beets in the field, you can talk to your agriculturist or crop consultant, and they can send the samples to Sugarbeet Pathology Lab at the University of Minnesota Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston. So typically, we get back to them in twenty four to forty eight hours with some recommendations for disease management. Again, it's free to the growers. It's fully funded by the growers, so please utilize this service.
Bruce Sundeen:Thanks, Ashok. Our guest has been Ashok Chanda, extension sugar beet pathologist with the University of Minnesota Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston, Minnesota. This is the Sugar Beet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season.