ODISHA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND

TECHNOLOGY

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, BHUBANESWAR

ASSIGNMENT

Production technology of cool season

vegetable crops
Vsc-501

CULTIVATION PRACTICES OF BEETROOT

(Beta vulgaris L.)

SUBMITTED BY-

NAME- ABHISHEK PADHY

ADM. NO. – 18122I04

Fruit Science And Horticulture

Technology
 BEET ROOT
1. Scientific Name- Beta vulgaris var. crassa
2. Family- Chenopodiaceae , Chromosome no. 2n = 28
Common names: Beetroot, table beets, garden or common beet
Pollination- cross pollination, wind pollination(Breeding work require pollen proof
conditions employing filtered air , so largely neglected by vegetable breeders(Watts,
1980).
Edible part- root , Acid present- citric acid
Temperature requirement-18-24°C, Photoperiod- Long day plant
Sex forms- dioecious, sporophytic self incompatibility and protandry
Tolerance to soil salinity – highly tolerant
Photosynthesis -C₃ plant
3. Origin – Primary centre-Indigenous to Asia Minor and Europe
4. Secondary centre-
The earliest form of domesticated beet was leaf beet. According to Campbell(1979), this
species is believed to have originated from Beta maritima, known as seaweed which is
indigenous to Southern Europe . Genus Beta is primarily found in Asia and Europe. The
modern table beet is one of the progenitors of the sugar beet.

EVOLUTION OF BETA CROPS

Section Beta
Asian and Europe

Subspecies Subspecies Subspecies

cicla maritima vulgaris

Vegetable and Medicinal use in European

culture

Swiss Chard Swollen Rooted Types

Crossing Table Beet

Fodder Beet

Mangel Sugarbeet
5. Wild species with description- Beet root originated from Beta vulgaris L. ssp. maritima by
hybridization with B. patula.
Earlier types were with long roots like that of carrot. Beet root, sugar beet and palak belong
to species B. vulgaris and are cross compatible.

6. Composition- Nutritional composition of beet root (Source: Gopalan et al. 1989)

Constituent Root Leaf

(per 100g fresh weight)
Water(g) 87.7 92.3
Dietary fiber (g) 0.90 1.70
Protein (g) 1.7 3.4
Fat(g) 0.1 0.8
Carbohydrate(g) 8.8 6.5
Energy value (kJ) 43 46
Starch (g) 0.6 -
Total sugars(g) 7.0 -
Macronutriernts
Total nitrogen(g) 0.27 0.54
Sodium (mg) 59.8 -
Potassium (mg) 43 -
Calcium(mg) 18.3 380
Magnesium (mg) 9 -
Phosphorus (mg) 55.0 30
Iron(mg) 1.19 16.2
Sulphur(mg) 14 -
Micronutrients
Manganese (mg) 0.19 -
Zinc (mg) -
Chromium (mg) 0.012 -
Chlorine (mg) 24 -
Copper (mg) 0.29 -
Vitamins
Carotene(µg) 20 5862
Thiamine(mg) 0.04 0.26
Riboflavin(mg) 0.09 0.56
Niacin(mg) 0.4 3.3
Vitamin B₆(mg) 0.03 -
Folate (µg) 150 (reduce risk of spina bifida) -
Pantothenate(mg) 0.12 -
Vitamin C(mg) 10 70
Choline (mg) 242 -
Oxalic acid (mg/100g) 40 -
Essential Amino acids
Arginine (mg/g N) 320 180
Histidine(mg/g N) 100 90
Lysine(mg/g N) 410 210
Tryptophan(mg/g N) 60 60
 Phenylalnine(mg/g N) 210 190
Tyrosine(mg/g N) 170 150
Methionine (mg/g N) 70 50
Cystine(mg/g N) 120 60
Threonin(mg/g N) 250 200
Leucine(mg/g N) 330 300
Isoleucine (mg/g N) 200 180
Valine(mg/g N) 230 210

7. Uses and Medicinal uses

 Beet root is a popular root crop grown for its fleshy roots which are used as cooked
vegetable, salad and for pickling and canning. Young plants along with tender leaves
are also used as pot herbs.
 It is a good source of sugar. Beets are usually cooked and served cold or warm, either
alone or in conjugation with leafy salads. Beets are also added with fish and meat
salads to add color and flavor.
 Beets contain betaines, which may function to reduce the concentration
of homocysteine,[23] a homolog of the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine.
 High circulating levels of homocysteine may be harmful to blood vessels, thus
contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.[24] As of 2008 this
hypothesis is controversial as it has not yet been established whether homocysteine
itself is harmful or is just an indicator of increased risk for cardiovascular disease

8. Alkaloid present- Betalains are a class of red and yellow indole-

derived pigments found in plants of the Caryophyllales, where they
replace anthocyanin pigments. They include pigments such as those found in beets.
Root colour- due to presence of
i. Red violet pigment-ß-cyanins
ii. Yellow pigment-ß-xanthins

9. Varieties and hybrids

 Beets are generally classified into two major groups on the basis of the edible parts.

i. The beets are grown mainly for their fleshy roots belong to the crass or garden,
group and include yellow beets and the common table or yellow beets and the
common table, red beets.
ii. This group is grown as leafy vegetables belong to the cicla group and include leafy
beets and Swiss chard.
iii. Varieties of beet root has been grouped on the basis of shape of roots:

 Flat: The modern type varieties produce thicker and not so flat roots as
older types. e.g., Flat Egyptian
 Short top shaped: Flattened at top and bottom with rounded sides and
conical or tapering base . e.g., Crosby Egyptian, Early Wonder, Asgrow
Wonder, Light red Crosby, Strawberry Crosby, Ferry Crosby and Vermillion
Crosby.
 Round or globular: Roots are round or globular in shape,e.g.. Detroit dark
red , Crimson globe, Good for all, Green top bunching, Asgrow canner and
Crimson king,
 Half long : Length is shorter than long types ,e.g.,Half Long Blood, Winter
Keeper, Early blood turnip.
 Long: Roots are long, may grow as much as 40 cm , quite popular in
Europe, e.g.,Long Dark Blood, Long smooth blood, Lutz green leaf or
Winter keeper.
 Hybrids: MAHYCO- Mahyco Lal ;Ralish India- Dayana; Clause International-
Warrior; Beejo Sheetal Seeds – Action, Pablo; Golden Seeds-Lalima;
Nunhems Seeds- Bolivar.

Crop/ Variety Developing Year DAC Notification

Centre/Source and Date
Beetroot (Kind) --- 1975 441(E),21.08.1975
Detroit Dark Red IARI ,RS, Katrain 1978 13, 19.12.1978
Detroit Dark Red IARI ,RS, Katrain 1985 540(E), 24.07.1985
Crimson Globe IARI ,RS, Katrain 1978 13, 19.12.1978
Crimson Globe IARI ,RS, Katrain 1985 540(E), 24.07.1985
Father Ball USA -
Egyptian Blood USA -
Edmond USA -
Eclipse USA -
Crosby Egyptian USA -
Early Wonder USA -
Ooty-1 ICAR -
Mahyco Lal(F1) MAHYCO -
Action (F1) BSS -
Fablo(F1) BSS -
Lalima(F1) Golden Seeds -
Bolivar(F1) Nunhems -
Ruby Queen Peto Seeds -
 Ruby Queen Improved Tokita Seeds -
Bassano - -
Corumba - -
Dayana Ralish India -
Warrior Clause International -

Detail Characteristics of Varieties and Hybrids are given below:

i. Crimson Globe: This Variety is an introduction, recommended by IARI, Regional

Station, Katrain and notified by CVRC Notification no.s 13, and 540(E) dated
19.12.1978, and 24.07.1985. The roots are globular to flattened globe, medium red
with little shoulders. Flesh is medium dark red with indistinct zones. The top is
medium to tall with large, bright green leaves having maroon/coppery shade with
prominent venation, young red veins. It is non- corrosive in taste when taken raw. It
matures in 80-90 days and has yield potential of 200-250q/ha. It is heavy yielder.

ii. Detroit Dark Red: This variety is an introduction, recommended by IARI, Regional
Station, Katrain and notified by CVRC Notification no.s 13, and 540(E) dated
19.12.1978 , and 24.07.1985. The roots are perfectly round with smooth uniform
and attractive with small collar and perfectly round with deep red skin. Flesh dark
blood red with light red zoning, tender and fine grained, top small, and leaves dark
green , glossy foliage having maroon tinge. It is corrosive in taste when taken raw. It
is a heavy cultivar having yield potential of 250-300q/ha and maturing in 80-100
days.
iii. Crosby Egyptian : Roots are flat globe with a small top root and a smooth
exterior. The internal color is dark purplish red with some indistinct zoning. The top
is medium tall, green with red veins. This cultivar reaches maturity in 55-60 days
after sowing and shows pronounced white zoning when grown in warm summer.

iv. Early Wonder: The roots are flattened globe with rounded shoulders with a
smooth, dark red skin. The interior is dark red with some lighter red zoning. The top
is heavy, green with red veins. This cultivar takes 55-60 days after sowing to reach
edible maturity.
v. Ooty-1: It is a selection from local type. It is a heavy yielding, variety with yield
potential of 31-45 tonnes/ ha. The skin is thin and the flesh color is blood -red . The
duration from sowing to harvest is 120-130 days. It is suitable for growing in south
Indian hills. It is released by TNAU.

vi. Edmond: Moderate Size, handsome, rounded roots with, smooth deep red, good
grain and flavor.
vii. Eclipse: Uniformly globular, bright red, fine grained and sweet. One of the best
quick growing early beets.

viii. Egyptian Blood: Top quite small, roots fair size, rich deep red, a standard early
variety.
ix. Mahyco Lal: Top is medium with erect leaf crown, root globe with close tail, deep
red, crisp flesh. Uniform with smooth texture, retain original quality without ringing,
and root 125-130g each. Maturity 65-70 days, Yield potential- 40-45 t/ha, and
resistant to premature bolting.
 x. Action: This is an early maturing hybrid , which becomes ready in 50-55 DAS. The
average beet weighs 100-150g. It can stand in the field for 30 days after maturity,
without cracking or loosing colour and taste. The size keeps increasing upto 400g.

xi. Pablo: It matures in 55-60 DAS and weighs 120-150g each. On maturity, if not
harvested, keeps growing upto 450g without cracking or loosing taste and colour
and does not develop fibre. It can be grown very well in all three seasons.

xii. Lalima: It is a vigorous growing early maturing hybrid. Uniform roots can be
harvested in about 60DAP. Tops are erect with bright green and glossy foliage.
Roots are top to globe shaped, smooth dark red, very sweet and free from zones.
The hybrid has good tolerance to Cercospora leaf spot, Rhizoctonia root rot, downy
and powdery mildews and drought. Yield potential is 45-50t/ha. Suitable for both
fresh market and processing industry, especially for pigment extraction.

xiii. Ruby Queen: It is a vigorous growing early maturing variety. Uniform smooth
shouldered beet with small tap root which holds its shape well even when crowded.
The interior colour is deep red. Roots can be harvested in about 50-55 DAP. Roots
are crisp, sweet, round. Yield potential is 40-45 t/ha.

xiv. Bolivar: Very strong type produces round uniform beet, smooth skin and deep red
internal colour. Upright leaves facilitate early harvest. Very slow bolting. Good for
fresh market and processing. Roots dark red, 200-250g each, diameter 12-14 cm
with round shape. First harvest within 45days with good keeping quality.

xv. Ruby Queen Improved: Plant vigorous, light green leaves with red veins petiole.
Roots crisp, sweet, round, dark red and ready for harvest In 55 DAS. Slices are very
dark red and free from white rings.

xvi. Corumba: It has very uniform, medium long cylindrical roots. Excellent internal and
external colour with good shelf life.

xvii. Other Favorite Varieties: Golden tankard, Golden Yellow, Mammoth, Mammoth
Long Red, Seneca Detroit, King Red, Detroit Red, Detroit Perfect, Rubia, Formanova,
Little Ball and Red Ball, which are common in temperate countries.

10. BOTANY

 Beet behaves as a biennial, producing a thickened root and a rosette of leaves in the
first year, flowers and seed in the second year.
 Under prolonged cold conditions, the plant may produce flowers and seed in the first
year.
 Watts and Watts reported four general classes of beet varieties: root oblate or top
shaded, root half-long, and root long conical. Varieties belonging to the root-oblate
class are only of commercial importance.
 The most popular early beets for market are Crosby Egyptian and Early wonder.
 Detroit Dark Red is a good all purpose beet used for bunching and for processing.
 Another favorite beet variety for processing is Perfect Detroit whose interior color is
darker than that of Detroit Dark Red and which is well adapted to mechanical
harvesting. Detroit Shot Top (strain of Detroit Red) and Halt Long Blood (root long
variety) are grown in Europe. Cylindrica is used for canning and for pickling in sliced
form. Kind Red and Crosby Egyptian are recommended for freezing and Morse
Detroit and Ohio Canner for dehydration.
 Enlargement of hypocotyls is due to growth of several concentric vascular cambia
which comprise the rings of beet.
 It requires cold temperature ( 4-10°C) treatment for 2 weeks or longer for flower
induction. The inflorescence is a large spike. The flowers are small, inconspicuous
with corolla, but with green calyx which becomes thicker and covers the seed
completely. This forms beet seed or multigerm seed which, botanically is a fruit
containing 2-6 seeds. The true seeds are small, kidney shaped and brown (Kale and
Masalkar, 1993).A gram of seed ball counts about 50 seeds.

11. SOIL REQUIREMENT

 Beet root can be grown on a wide range of soils.

 Deep and well- drained loams or sandy loams are best.
 The crop in heavy soils produces roots of asymmetrical shape (Jorritsma, 1985;
Kunze et al.,1985; Wavers et al., 1986).
 The crop is sensitive to acidic soil but thrives very well in alkaline soils with pH as
high as 9-10.
 The yield at pH 5.8-7.0 essentially remains the same.
 The high yield may be obtained from deep rich alluvial soil such as silt loam. It can
successfully be grown on saline and alkaline soils but scab is a serious problem in
alkaline soil.

12. CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT

 Beet root is essentially a cool weather crop, and hence it grows best in winter in
plains of India. Good quality roots rich in sugar and intense red colour are obtained
always in cool weather (18.3-21.2°C).
 At a temperature below 10°C , the plants are very sensitive to low temperature (4.5-
10° C for 15 days or more),bolting is likely to occur before the roots reach
marketable root size.
 A temperature of atleast 3°C is required for germination (gummerson and Jaggard,
1985) and 90 day degrees above that temperature are needed for the attainment of
50% emergence in suitable conditions. It requires abundant sunshine for the
development of roots.
 Excessively hot weather causes the appearance of alternating light and dark red
concentric circles in the root.
 Good colour is not directly related to high sugar content but low sugar content is
associated with poor colour.
 13. SOWING TIME
 Northern plains of India- Seeds are sown in September to November
 Southern plains of India-Sowing is extended from July to November
 Hills- 1st week of March to July end (Katyal,1985)
 For continuous supply of marketable roots –Staggered sowing at 2-4 weeks interval
 Seeds sown early may produce roots with coarse and woody flesh and dull colour
due to high temperature.
 To facilitate uniform and early germination, the seed bed should not be too wet or
too dry.

14. SEED RATE AND SEED TREATMENT

Seeds are usually sown directly in the field by sowing seed balls(seed mix with soil) that
contain 1-6 seeds. The seed balls are sown at the rate of 7-9 kg/ha at 45-60cm X 8-10cm
spacing. Seed Treatment with Thiram or Captan @2.5g/kg of seed gave better seedling
emergence and controlled pre- emergence damping off disease.

The seeds are soaked in water about 12 hours before sowing to facilitate better germination
in the field.

15. METHOD OF SOWING

 Seeds are sown directly in the well prepared fields on ridges at 45-60 cm apart, and
are thinned later to space 8-10cm within row.
 The cultivars with small tops are given closer spacing than heavy tops (Sadhu, 1986).
 The seed is sown 1.5-2.5cm deep and irrigated immediately after sowing (Jorritsma,
1985). The seeds are soaked in water for about 12 hours before sowing to facilitate
better germination in the field. On commercial scale, a seed drill may be used for this
purpose.

16. MANURIAL REQUIREMENT

 This crop responds well to fertilizer application since it has to make quick and
uninterrupted growth to produce high yield of quality roots.
 Nitrogen uptake by plant is as high as 78% from the soil and 22% from added
fertilizer. Application of high nitrogen doses tends to produce roots of pure quality
 (Nilssion, 1973).Nitrogen application increased the size of the roots but reduced the
total soluble solids and red pigment contents in roots.
 FYM 15-20t/ha, nitrogen 60-70kg, phosphorus 100-120kg, and potassium 60-
70kg/ha (Choudhary,1967).
 Under the conditions of West Bengal , the optimum dose of nitrogen and
phosphorus as 30-60kg/ha, respectively is recommended for cv. Crimson Globe.
 Beet root has relatively high boron requirement for quality root production since its
deficiency causes internal breakdown as black spot or dry root (Choudhary,1967;
Nath et al.,1987).
 (Full P₂O₅ +full K₂O + half of N)- Broadcasted prior to sowing, and the remaining N
should be applied in two splits at 4 and 6 weeks after sowing.
 Optimum plant development and yield were obtained with plants containing with
plants containing nitrogen 2.28%, Phosphorus 0.78%, and Potassium 5.58% at 10
leaf stage.

17. IRRIGATION REQUIREMENT

 Sufficient soil moisture facilitates the germination , thus, a regular water supply is
essential for both seed germination and high yield of good quality roots.
 The water requirement has been reported to be 300 mm supplied in 5-6 irrigations
(Sadhu, 1986). If winter rains are there then only about 3 irrigations are sufficient
for harvesting a good yield.
 It has deep rooting habit ; well suited to irrigation from below, i.e., by artificial
control of the water table, provided the crop can obtain sufficient nutrients when
the upper part of the soil profile has dried (Henderson et al., 1968; Benz et al., 1985).

18. INTERCULTURAL OPERATIONS

1. Thinning
 Thinning of young seedlings after germination to provide the proper spacing between
the plants .
 Thinning is essential to obtain roots of uniform size and shape because more than one
seedling (4-6 seedling) emerge from a seed ball. Thinning the seedlings to 3 cm
produces roots of best quality.
 Hand thinning is practiced when seedlings are large enough to handle.
 Sometimes, thinning is delayed to get more no. of roots, which can be marketed. After
that large ones are removed , enough space is available for smaller ones to develop
(Sadhu, 1986).
 If poor germination is observed then the seedling uprooted during thinning may be
transplanted, and soon after a light irrigation may be applied.
2. Earthing Up
 One or two earthing up is essential to prevent the exposure of roots to sunlight which
causes greening and lowers the quality of produce.
 In early stages, the crop growth is very slow, and the crop may not compete with weeds
for nutrients, space, light, and moisture, hence, it is essential to remove the weeds and
to reduce their competition with crop.
3. Weed Control
 Pre and post- emergence sprays of Propachlor (2.5kg/ha) control the weeds for 40 to 50
days and increase the crop yield.
 Pyramin (Pyrazon) @3.74-4.0kg/ha applied pre-emergence, venzar (lenacil) 0.75-
1.0kg/ha applied either before sowing by mixing with the top 2-3 cm of soil orpre-
emergence at 1.5kg/hagave good weed control.
 One pre- emergence application of alachlor or butachlor at 1.5 kg a.i. /ha or fluchloralin
1.0kg a.i./ha effective for the control of weeds in beetroot crop for a period of 60 days.
 The root yield increased by 35-54% if weeds were controlled efficiently.

19. HARVESTING

 Medium sized roots are of great demand and roots are harvested after attaining a
diameter of 3-5 cm. Within 60-75 days of sowing, the rots become ready for harvest.
 Harvesting is done 9-10 weeks after sowing by pulling the top with hand and the
tops are cut and removed.
 Roots are washed and graded according to size before they are sent for marketing.
 Roots are tied in bundles of 4-6 with their tops.
 Over matured and oversized roots become woody and crack. Hence, roots are
harvested when they attain a marketable size.
20. YIELD

Yield varies from 25-30t/ha.

21. POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT

a) Waxing
Beetroots are waxed to avoid wilting in a dry
atmosphere and to retain good quality and
appearance in marketing. Waxed areas should
be transparent to clearly see root colour.
Dull or opaque areas indicate places where the
skin was too damp when the root was dipped in
the wax.

b) Canning
Roots (4.5cm or less in diameter) should be
canned without cutting (uniform in size, and
round or oval). Root size should not exceed 7.5cm in
diameter since the large roots are coarse and poorly
colored. The roots can be peeled and processed in
light syrup.
The roots are cut into cubes about 1.5 cm on aside by
a slicing machine. On an average , usually 8-10 roots
are adjusted in a can.
22. STORAGE
 Edible mature roots should be harvested for storage and fresh market.
 Immature roots may store poorly, sprout soon after storage, and develop an
undesirable flavor. The roots can be stored upto 2-3 days at room temperature.
 They can be stored well at 0°C temperature and 90% relative humidity (cold
storage) for 10 days to 2 weeks and large piles should be avoided to prevent
decaying.
 Roots harvested in late winter or early spring is well stored. Roots dug when the soil
is dry.
 After digging , the roots are topped and placed in storage without any delay. All
injured specimens should be sorted out as they encourage rots.
 Crown removal increases the loss of sucrose as a result of the highly accelerated rate
of wound respiration caused by the injury. The large exposed surface of the crowned
root increase storage pathogen incidence. Crowned roots, which are infected with
these pathogens, therefore, decay much faster in storage than uncrowned roots.

Foundation seed- 5m
23. Isolation Distance- Mother root production stage
Certified seed- 5m

Seed production stage Foundation seed - 1600m

Certified seed – 1000m

Specific requirements

Factor Maximum permitted (%)

Certified Foundation

*Roots of other varieties not 0.10% 0.20%

conforming to varietal
characteristics (by number)
**Off-types 0.10% 0.20%

*Maximum permitted at second inspection at mother root production stage.

**Maximum permitted at and after flowering at seed production stage.

24. Seed Standards Factor Standards for each class

Foundation Certified
Pure seed (minimum) 96.0% 96.0%
Inert matter (maximum) 4.0% 4.0%
Other crop seeds (maximum) 5/kg 10/kg
Weed seeds (maximum) 5/kg 10/kg
Germination (minimum) 60% 60%
Moisture (maximum) 9.0% 9.0%
For vapour-proof containers (max) 8.0% 8.0%
 25. INSECT PESTS

a) Beet leaf miner or spinach leaf miner (Pegomya

hyoseyermis)

 Larvae eat tissues between the upper and lower

surfaces of the leaves and cause blister-like areas,
and thus, weakening the plants.
Control

 Collect and destroy the mined leaves

 Apply Phorate 0.5kg a.i. /ha at sowing followed
by another application of 0.5%kg a.i./ha 40 days
after germination. Spray the crop with
chloropyriphos 0.1% as soil drenching.

b) Beet webworm or Leaf eating caterpillar (Spodoptera litura)

Symptoms

Caterpillars eat the buds of young tender plants and often cover the feeding surfaces with
webs. The green caterpillars feed on the foliage damaging green foliage badly.
Control

 Plough the soil to expose and kill the pupae

 Grow castor along the border and irrigation channel as trap crop.
 Set up light trap @1/ha.
 Pheromone traps (Pherodin SL) @ 15/ha to attract male moths
 Collect and destroy egg masses in castor and tomato
 Hand pick grown up larva and kill them.
 Spray Sl NPV @1.5 X 10₁₂ POBs /ha + 2.5 kg crude sugar + 0.1% teepol
 Poison bait: Rice bran 5 kg + Molasses or Brown sugar 500g + Carbaryl 50 WP 500g
+3 lit of water/ha. Then mix the ingredients well and are kept around the field in the
evening hours.
 Spray chloropyriphos 20 EC 2 lit/ha or Dichlorvos 76WCS 1 lit/ha.

c) Cyst nematodes (Heterodera schatii and Globodera rostochinensis)

Stunted growth due to cyst

nematode infection
  The cyst nematodes cause patches of stunted plants, which tend to wilt in sunshine
but recover during the night.
 The taproot of the infected plant is small, and fibrous lateral roots are extensive.
Some plants show stunting and wilting at later stage. Soon after invasion by G.
rostochinensis the roots begin to branch underground so that there are clamps of
small rots, and the taproot is smaller than usual.

Control

 Use cereals, maize, peas and beans in crop rotation upto 4-5 years.
 Maintain the soil pH near 6.0. Apply neem cake @ 20q/ha after green manuring.
 Plough the field deep in summer to reduce the viable cyst content in soil.
 Use of non-fumigant nematicide carbofuran 3g @ 1-2 kg a.i./ha (33-66 kg/ha).

26. DISEASES

a) Cercospora Leaf spot (Cercospora beticola)

Symptoms

 Circular brown or gray spots with red

margin. Spots first time appear on lower
leaves near the ground. Spots that are
scattered attain a diameter of atleast 3-
5mm.
 he spots are small, circular and ash-grey
in the center but retain the purple
border. In severe condition, the spots
coalesce.
 The leaves become wrinkled and
ultimately dry and fall down. The central
dry portion of the spots become so
papery that it falls away leaving irregular
holes in the leaves.
 As leaves die, the crown becomes crown
shaped with a rosette of dead leaves at
the base

Control

 Plough the field deep to bury the crop

refuse deep into the soil
 Follow crop rotation of three years with
non-host crops
 Use disease free seed.Removal and destruction of affected plants.
 Treat the seeds preferably with a fungicide such as Carbendazim, Thiram or Captan
@2.5g/kg of seed.
  Spray the crop with 0.3% Blitox (Copper oxychloride) 3 times at an interval of 15
days.
 Spray Mancozeb @0.25% alternate with Hexaconazole 3 times at an interval of 15
days.

b) Sclerotium root rot (Sclerotium rolfsii)

Symptoms

Symptoms appear from Feb-April when the weather warms up. In severe condition
yellowing of leaves and wilting is seen. The fleshy roots are found completely or partially
decayed.

The fungal growth and sclerotia can be seen also in the soil around such roots.

Control

 Destroy the crop debris to reduce the inoculum load.

 Apply Nitrogen @ 160kg/ha through Calcium ammonium nitrate or ammonium
sulphate to reduce the disease incidence.
 Apply PCNB (Brassicol) @15 kg/3000L of water as soil drench around the roots.
 Treat the seed with Bavistin @10g/kg of seed
 Apply 0.3% Blitox-50 around the root zone of plants.
 c) Bacterial Blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. Aptata)

Symptom

Leaves show circular to irregular leaf spots which have a tan center with a dark margin.
Disease seen on leaf edges.

These spots later coalesce causing the leaves to have a ragged appearance.

Control measures:

 Follow proper sanitation and crop rotation for 3-4 years.

 Spraying with a combination of copper and organic fungicides in a regular preventive
spray program at 5-10 day intervals or spraying with Agrimycin100 (100ppm) thrice
at 10 days intervals effectively controls the disease.
 Spray Azoxystrobin or Streptomycin bactericide to control disease.

d) Phoma blight and heart rot (Pleospora bjorlingii)

Symptoms

 The pathogen causes damping off resulting rots and the base of young stems turn
black and plants fall over. It causes a distinct brown leaf spot, sometimes with
concentric rings. In mature spots, the fungus forms numerous glistering black
pycnidia.
 When roots are weak, inner younger leaves are infected first, followed by a gradually
progression to older leaves as they become weakened and yellowed.
 Infected areas are first water soaked, but quickly turn brown and finally coal black.
 On seed stalks brown to black necrotic streaks occur in which grayish center with
black glistering pycnidia develops.

Control :

 Follow long crop rotation with non host crops

 Grow beetroot in well fertilized friable soil.
 Use disease free healthy seed for cultivation.
 Treat the seed for cultivation.
 Treat the seed with hot water at 58.8°C for 8 min, then dry in air for 24 h and retreat
with Thiram @2.5g/kg of seed.
 Avoid wounds on roots.
 Supply the crop with sufficient boron and sodium after soil test.

e) Beet yellow mosaic

 The disease is cause by two viruses, i.e., Beet yellow virus and Beet mild yellowing
virus.
  These viruses are transmitted by several aphids of which Myzus persicae and Aphis
fabae are the most Important.
 The leaves becomes yellow, thickened and brittle. Yellowing begins at the leaf tips
and upper margins and infected leaves matur,e, the older invaded portions turn
brown and die, then the entire leaf withers.
 If infection occurs early, the roots remain small and produce little sugar. When
infection sides are widely separated in planting, infection patches of yellow parts
appear as circular areas within a planting that otherwise is green.

Control

 Remove the overwintering viruses such as weeds by growing seed crops and root
crops in widely separated areas.
 Spray the crop with 0.2% Dimethoate , or Imidacloprid 3ml/5L water or oxydemeton
methyl 25EC (2ml/liter of water).

f) Powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni DC)

Symptoms

 Whitish gray spots upto 0.5 inch in diameter which develops and spread on other
sides of leaves.
 Spots are frequently coalescing to form large spots, and later the entire leaf is
covered with grayish fungus growth.
  The pathogen of PM develops first as delicate, hyaline and cobweb like growth of
mycelium on the host surface either on leaf or on twigs which later become white
powdery or dusty in appearance due to the development of numerous conidia.

Control

 Maintain soil moisture optimum for the crop.

 Spray Wettable sulphur 25kg/ha (0.25%) or Dinocap (Karathane) 5 kg/ha (0.05%)
 Spray the crop with 0.1 % carbendazim or 0.2% sulphur for control of the disease.

g) Downy mildew (Peronospora farinose sp. betae)/Peronospora schatii)

Symptoms

 Initially the symptoms appear at

seedling stage and prevalent during
cooler months.
 The cotyledons first become pale in
colour.
 Both the surfaces are covered with
fruiting fungus and later curl to
downward sharply.
 Symptoms occur on leaves as irregular
pale green/ greasy grayish area on the
upper surface and white to gray layer
/white powdery growth on the lower surface.
 This area later turns in brown colour and die.
 Flower shoots on infected plants become stunted and distorted.
 The entire inflorescence has a compact appearance and excessive leaf development
may give an appearance and excessive leaf development may give an appearance
witches broom.
 Similarly, lesions formed on leaves, branches, bracts, flowers, and on seed stalks
cause distortion of these parts.
Control

 Preventive measures such as good field sanitation, crop rotation and use of resistant
cultivars are recommended.
 Use well drained soil for its cultivation.
 Seed treatment with Thiram (2.5-3kg/of seed ) protects the emerging seedlings from
the disease attack.
 Spraying with Dithane Z-78 (0.3%) thrice at an interval of 15 days .
 Harvest the seed only from healthy plants

h) Curly-top virus

Symptoms

 The disease is transmitted by beet leaf hoppers.

External symptoms of curly top virus infection
may appear in leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, or
roots of infected plants.
 Generally mottling is absent, but infected plant
parts may become distorted through curling,
twisting, rolling, stunting, etc.
 Leaves become thickened and leathery. Curly top
virus may impair both yield and quality of the root
of an infected plant
 Internal symptoms (non-observable with unaided
eye) consists of death of the food conducting
vessels, as well as of extreme variations from the
normal in numbers and sizes of cells composing
the plant tissues.

Control

 Losses can be reduced by use of resistant varieties.

 Adopting sanitary measures including the eradication of susceptible weeds and
susceptible volunteer crop plants from a previous planting.
 Regulating the time of planting in order to avoid the main flights of the beet leaf
hopper;
 Use of barriers of trap crop and early removal and destruction of infected plants,
 Spraying malathion (2ml/liter of water) controls the population of beet leaf hoppers.
 27. PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS

a) Heart rot or Crown rot

 This disorder is caused
by Boron deficiency.

 The leaves die in the

crown which is covered
with small deformed
leaves. The older leaves
wilt and become
necrotic. The entire
crown becomes necrotic and starts to decay.
 The inner portion of affected roots turns black and becomes unfit for consumption.

Correction:

 Soil application of Borax (10-15 kg/ha) or foliar spray of boric acid (0.2%) , 2-3 times
at vegetative stage can check it.
 Avoid the sowing of beet in acidic soils.
 Avoid drought conditions by supplying reduced irrigation

b) Speckled Yellows

 It is due to deficiency of Manganese.

 The leaves of the affected plants show yellowish-green chlorotic mottled
areas which become necrotic resulting into breaking of lamina. The leaf
margins roll upwards and turn into an arrowed- shaped outline which
remains upright.

Correction:

 Apply Manganese sulphate @5-10 kg/ha or foliar spray of manganese sulphate

(0.2%) 2-3 times.
 Avoid planting on very sandy and alkaline soils.
 SUGAR BEET IN SAND CULTURE —
from the 1951 edition

0113. Sugar Beet Plant

Nitrogen Dificiency

Growth small; foliage pale green, older

leaves yellow and die early.

0114. Sugar Beet Plant

Phosphorus deficiency

Leaves dull, lustreless green, with

occasional slight bronzing and purple
spotting near margins (cf. Plate No. 132,
aluminium toxicity)

115. Sugar Beet Plant

Calcium deficiency

Hooking of young leaves, followed by death of

growing point.
 116. Sugar Beet Plant

Calcium deficiency

Advanced stage of acute deficiency. Young

leaves fail to expand and die off; older leaves
marginal scorch.

117. Sugar Beet Seed Stem

Calcium deficiency

Hooking of young leaves; death of growing point

and failure to blossom.

118. Sugar Beet(left) and Mangold(right) Roots

Calcium deficiency (soil acidity complex)

Forking and turning of roots in acid subsoil layer.

 119. Sugar Beet Plant

Calcium deficiency (soil acidity complex)

Leaf margins slightly pale, curled forward

and scorched.

120. Sugar Beet Plant

Magnesium deficiency

Older leaves severe intervenal chlorosis

and necrosis.

121. Sugar Beet Leaves

Magnesium deficiency

Intervenal chlorosis, beginning at tips and

margins and progressing towards midrib;
chlorosis followed by marginal and intervenal
necrosis.

122. Sugar Beet Leaves

"Virus Yellows"

Leaves intervenal "yellowing" in

asymmetrical patches; yellow patches
brittle and crackle when squeezed in
hand. Yellowing followed by marginal
and intervenal necrosis. May be
confused with magnesium deficiency
symptoms.
 123. Sugar Beet Plant

Potassium deficiency

Leaves narrow; older leaves marginal and

intervenal scorch; they wither and collapse around
plant.

124. Sugar Beet Leaves

Potassium deficiency

Showing longitudinal lesions of petioles and

midribs.

125. Sugar Beet Plant

Combined potassium and sodium deficiencies

Growth dwarfed; leaves dull green and older leaves

severe marginal and intervenal brown scorch; older
leaves wither and hang down. Scorching generally
similar to potassium defecience alone, but develops
earlier and the effects are more severe.
 126. Sugar Beet Plant

Iron deficiency

Younger leaves chlorotic mottling.

127. Sugar Beet Leaves

Iron deficiency

Young leaves fine chlorotic mottling, later

general chlorosis.

128. Sugar Beet Plant

Manganese deficiency

Leaves severe "Speckled Yellows" and leaf

margins curled forward.

129. Sugar Beet Leaf

Manganese deficiency

Severe intervenal chlorosis, "Speckled Yellows".

130. Sugar Beet Plant

Manganese and boron deficiency

Manganese deficiency shown by speckled

condition of leaves ("Speckled Yellows") and
boron deficiency by "Crown Tot".

131. Sugar Beet Plant

Manganese toxcity (Soil acidity

complex)

Leaves strong chlorotic mottling.

Effects differ from manganese
deficiency in growth habit of leaves.
(cf. Plate No. 128)

132. Sugar Beet Plant

Aluminium toxicity (Soil acidity complex)

Growth stunted; leaves dull green, often with small

necrotic areas near tips and margins. Similar to
phrosphorus deficiency. (cf. Plate No. a14)

Aluminium stops cell division during the "S Stage". —

Tommy C. —

133. Young Sugar Beet Plant

Boron deficiency

Early stage of boron deficiency. Young

leaves distorted and fail to expand.
 134. Sugar Beet Plant

Boron deficiency

"Crown Rot" and death and distortion

of young leaves; older leaves cracking
and distortion of laminae, yellow
pigment formation and severe marginal
scorch.

135. Sugar Beet Plants

Chromium (as chromate) toxixity

Growth stunted; younger leaves show

chlorotic iron deficiency symptoms
followed by severe intervenal necrosis.

136. Sugar Beet Plants

Cobalt toxicity

Growth severely stunted; young leaves

at early stage show chlorotic iron
deficiency symptoms quickly followed
by severe intervenal necrosis and
death.

137. Sugar Beet Plants

Copper toxicity

Growth severely stunted; young leaves

show chlorotic iron deficiency symptoms
followed by severe intervenal necrosis.
 138. Sugar Beet Plants

Nickel toxicity

Growth severely stunted; young

leaves at early stage show chlorotic
iron deficiency symptoms quickly
followed by severe necrosis, collapse
and death; older leaves develop
orange pigment.

139. Sugar Beet Plants

Zinc toxicity

Growth severely stunted; young leaves

show chlorotic iron deficiency symptoms
followed by severe intervenal necrosis.
 REFERENCES

1. M.K.Rana ; Olericulture in India ;Pg No. 398-408

2. Hari Har Ram; Vegetable Breeding- principles and practices;
Pg no.533
3. H.P. Singh Mathura Rai, Sudhakar Pandey, Sanjeev Kumar,
Vegetable Varieties of India; Pg. No. 267
4. D.N. Singh, Vishal Nath; Varieties and Hybrids of Vegetables;
Page No. 49-52
5. TNAU Website for disease and pest control in Beet root crop
MCQs
1. Edible part in beet root
a) Hypocotyl
b) Tap root
c) Radicle
d) Stem

2. Choose true statement on Beet root

a) Red colour is due to betacyanin and yellow colour is due to betaxanthin
b) Vernalization for two weeks at 4-10° C is must for flower initiation
c) Flowers are inconspicuous without corolla and green calyx covering seed
d) 18.3-21.1 °C is best temperature for growth and below 10°C, plants tend to bolt
e) All the above

3. Alternate colour and white circles in beet root when sliced is due to
a) Low temperature
b) High temperature
c) High nitrogen
d) Low boron

4. Beet root is highly suited for alkaline soils. The pH it can withstand is up to
a) 7
b) 8
c) 9
d) 10
e) 12

5. Beet root variety suited for close planting because of light tops
a) Detroit dark red
b) Flat Egyptian
c) Ooty-1
d) Early wonder
e) Grosby Egyptian

6. Internal breakdown/ black spot/ Dry rot in beet root is caused by the deficiency of
a) Ca
b) Mn
c) Mg
d) N
e) B
7. Garden beet require _____mm water given in 6 irrigations
a) 150
b) 200
c) 250
d) 300
e) 350

8. Select important operation in beet root

a) Soaking seeds 12 hours prior to sowing
b) Earthing up
c) Thinning
d) All

9. Near impossibility of emasculating the flower exists in

a) Garlic
b) Garden Beet
c) Palak
d) Lettuce

10. Choose true statement on CGMS in garden beet

a) CGMS decided by Sxxzz is transferred from Sugarbeet
b) Segregation of gene ‘x’ and cytoplasm ‘S’ with fertility dominant to male sterility
c) Gene ‘z’ is independent of and hypostatic to ‘S’
d) Gene ‘z’ conditions the partial male fertility and is completely dominant to male sterility
e) All the above

11. Shedding of pollen over a period of weeks is speciality in

a) Bhendi
b) Beet root
c) Onion
d) Broad bean

12. Dioecious sex form is reported in

a) Carrot
b) Beet root
c) Radish
d) Turnip
e) All the above

13. Choose wrong statement on Beet root

a) Detroit Dark Red is best variety for canning and variety cylindrical for canning and
pickling.
b) Freezing injury of tubers occur if stored below -1.1°C and sugar content of roots increase
by low temperature storage
c) Fruit is called Glomerule (contain 2-3 sexual seeds ) and minimum soil temperature
required for seed germination is 7°C.
d) Seed factors that negatively influence the germination are mucilaginous layer around
the seed ball, ovary cap or operculum and chemical inhibitors in seed ball that are
identified as phenolic compounds
e) All the above

14. Beet root variety that produce golden orange tubers that doesn’t bleed like other red
tubered varieties
a) Burpees golden
b) Boltardy
c) Detroit 2 Crimson globe
d) Kestrel F₁

15. Long rooted cylindrical beet root variety

a) DDR
b) Foronno
c) Modella
d) Pablo

16. Beet root variety with monogerm fruit (thinning not required) and suited as sweet
baby beet
a) Moulin Rouge
b) Red Ace
c) Maroon F₁
d) Red Ball

17. Garden beet goes to premature seeding at temperature

a) 20⁰C
b) Below 10⁰C
c) 15⁰C
d) None of the above

18. Internal black spot in Beet root occur due to deficiency of which nutrient?
a) B
b) N
c) Fe
d) K

19. Beet root thrives very well in

a) Saline soil
b) Sodic soil
c) Alkaline soil
d) Acidic soil

20. The best temperature for Germination of Beet root seed and vernalization respectively
a) 20-30⁰C and 4-10⁰C for two weeks
b) 10-20⁰C and 5-12⁰C for two weeks
c) 25⁰C and 16⁰C for four weeks
d) 25⁰C and 21⁰C for four weeks