The influence of seed type and plant density on variation in plant size of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) crops

Abstract

In each of three experiments, five seed lots, representing multigerm, monogerm, open pollinated and hybrid types, were grown at three plant densities and the time of seedling emergence, uniformity of within-row spacing, the weight of individual shoots and roots at four occasions were recorded.Seedling emergence was more rapid in a May-sown experiment than in a March-sown experiment. The monogerm seed lot had a lower standard deviation of emergence time in the May-sown experiment and in all experiments had a more uniform within-row spacing than the other seed lots, but there was no consistent relationship between these two attributes and uniformity of root weight.The mean weight of shoots and roots increased rapidly until 600 day °C above 6 had accumulated. The yield of shoots then remained constant at about 30 t/ha at 47 plants/ m 2 and at about 40 t/ha at 188 plants/m 2 . The weight of roots increased throughout the experiments and yields of over 100 t/ha were achieved. The monogerm seed lot gave a ceiling shoot yield about 20 % less than that of the other seed lots, whereas there were no large or consistent differences in root yield between the different seed lots. Shoot yield increased with plant density, especially at very early harvests, whereas root yield showed a variable response to density. At early harvests in all experiments, root yield increased with increasing density; at late harvests in one experiment, yield decreased with density, but in another there was no marked response to density.Coefficient of variation (c.v.) of root weight was only about 30 % in young unthickened roots, but in older thickened roots was between 70 and 117 % at 47 plants/in 2 , and increased to over 180% at 188 plants/m a . The C.v. of root weight of the monogerm seed lot was approximately 20 % less than that of the other seed lots.In a fourth experiment, plots were thinned to leave within each row either a uniform or a clumped distribution of seedlings of either uniform or variable size. Uniformity of spacing had no effect on variation in root weight 126 days after sowing, but selecting for seedlings of uniform size reduced the c.v. of root weight by approximately 20%.

Storage-root weight, diameter and length relationships in carrot (Daucus carota) and red beet (Beta vulgaris)

“…Full details of the cultural practices are described in Benjamin & Bell (1985). Briefly, red beet seed from lot C used in Expts 1, 2 and 3, was hand sown in July 1984 and subsequently thinned to give four combinations of uniformly or variably spaced seedlings of uniform or variable size.…”

“…Expts 5, 6 and 7 have not been shape, using just a single parameter. For example, previously published, but were done a number of Bleasdale & Thompson (1963) of length to diameter has also been used to describe Full details of the cultural practices are described in shape (Bradley et al 1967;Dowker et al 1976;Benjamin & Bell (1985). In brief, these three experi-merits were sown on 22 March 1984, 8 May 1984and 26 June 1984.…”

Challenges and Prospects for Building Resilient Disease Management Strategies and Tactics for the New York Table Beet Industry

“…Sowing depth, seed type, in-row plant density, and row spacing are important factors influencing yield and taproot size [12][13][14][15][16]. For example, higher in-row plant densities increase the proportion of plants with small roots but at the expense of total root yield [16,17].…”

The relative importance of cluster size, sowing depth, time of seedling emergence and between-plant spacing on variation in plant size in red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) crops

“…On 17 July 1985, monogerm seed clusters of cv. Monopoly (Breeders' Seeds) (see Benjamin & Bell (1985) seed lot C for details) were sown individually at a depth of 2 cm in 150 18 cm diameter pots, which had been uniformly filled with Levington compost. The pots were arranged out-of-doors where the clusters were covered with fine-grade silver sand and routine pest control and liquid feed were applied.…”

“…In a recent study by Benjamin & Bell (1985) it was pointed out that although variation in plant size is of considerable economic importance in red beet there had been no extensive systematic studies of the causes of this variation. This earlier study showed that non-hybrid beets were as uniform as F 1 hybrid beets, indicating that agronomic factors rather than genetic factors were responsible for the variation observed.…”