Thursday, 10 November 2005 - 8:15 AM
311-2
Is Narrower Rows Better for Sugarbeet Yield and Quality?.
North Dakota and Minnesota produce more than 50% of the US sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris) production. Most of the sugarbeet in the bi-state are grown on 22 inch rows with a spacing of about 8 inches between plants within rows. Research was conducted to determine whether a row spacing of 11 inches with different spacings between plants within the row will result in higher yield and quality than the current practice. Since sugarbeet roots are stored in piles for over six months, respiration rates of roots from the different treatments were compared. In 2004, at Prosper, ND and Foxhome, MN, yield and quality were compared for sugarbeet grown 8 inches apart within 22 inch rows and 8, 10, 12 and 14 inches apart within 11 inch rows. At both locations, there was no significant difference in recoverable sucrose yield and sucrose concentration between sugarbeet planted in 22 inch rows and sugarbeet planted at different spacings within 11 inch rows. However, sugarbeet planted 12 and 14 inches apart in 11 inch rows consistently resulted in highest recoverable sucrose. The average root weight was significantly higher for sugarbeet produced in 22 inch rows compared to sugarbeet from the 11 inch rows. At Prosper, there was no significant difference in respiration rates when comparing roots from 22 inch rows to roots from 11 inch rows. At Foxhome, respiration rates were significantly lower for roots from 22 inch rows than for roots from 11 inch rows. As the within row spacing decreased for the 11 inch rows, roots generally decreased in size as a result of more competition for sunlight, water and nutrients, and respiration rates generally increased. However, respiration rates attained – 2.80 to 5.32 mg CO2
Recorded presentation
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