Klamath Experiment Station
Effect of Seed Enhancement on Performance of three Sugarbeet Varieties, 1997
K.A. Rykbost and R.L. Dove1 1
A
bstract
Three commercially acceptable varieties were included in a study to evaluate the effects of pelleting and priming sugarbeet seed. In other production regions, seed
enhancement has been shown to improve
stands, hasten emergence, and increase yields
and sugar production. Seed of cultivars Beta
8422, ACH 211, and Bighorn was provided as
encrusted, pelleted, or PAT primed. A factorial
design experiment with four replications
evaluated the effects of these factors on time
to emergence, final stands, beet yield, sugar
content, and gross crop value. Pelleted seed
was slightly slower to emerge but 10 days
after planting, emergence was uniform at over
90 percent. Varieties were not significantly
different in beet yield, sugar content, sugar
yield, or gross value. Pelleted seed was
slightly, but not significantly, higher in beet
yield and sugar content and significantly
higher in sugar yield than encrusted or primed
seed. Because of wet soil conditions, planting
was delayed about two weeks past the ideal
planting date determined in previous research.
Planting earlier in lower soil temperatures
would be expected to provide a greater advantage for seed priming.
Introduction
A short growing season, frequent frosts
in April and May, and delayed germination in
cool soils limit sugarbeet production potential
in the Klamath Basin. Previous research at
Klamath Falls and Tulelake has demonstrated
the importance of early planting in maximizing sugarbeet yield potential. Crop management practices that speed crop emergence can
be expected to produce increased yield potential. Seed enhancement by pelleting and
priming have been shown to hasten emergence
and produce more uniform emergence under
certain conditions in other sugarbeet production regions. This technology was evaluated at
the Klamath Experiment Station in 1997.
Procedures
Seed Systems provided encrusted,
pelleted, and PAT primed seed of varieties
Beta 8422, ACH 211, and HM Bighorn. A
factorial experimental design included the
three varieties as factor A, three seed condi•
tions as factor B, and four replications of
three-row, 24-foot plots.
The trial site was a Poe fine sandy
loam soil cropped with grain in 1996. The soil
has approximately 1.0 percent organic matter
in the plow layer, a pH of about 6.0, and
somewhat restricted drainage because of an
impervious layer at about 18-inch depth. The
field was plowed on April 8. A broadcast
application of 600 lb/acre of 12-12-12 fertilizer was incorporated with harrowing on May
2. A firm, flat seedbed was accomplished with
a Brillion ring roller. The site was pre-irrigated
V Superintendent/Professor and Associate Professor, respectively, Klamath Experiment Station,
Klamath Falls, OR.
Acknowledgment: Seed Systems provided the seed and financial support for the study. Spreckels
Sugar Company provided analyses of samples for tare loss and sugar content.
Klamath Experiment Station 1997 77
Klamath Experiment Station
Effect of Seed Enhancement on Performance of three Sugarbeet Varieties, 1997
with solid-set sprinklers to apply 0.35
inches, providing ideal soil-moisture
conditions for planting.
Seed was planted in 22-inch rows
on May 5. Two outside border rows of
each plot were planted with pelleted seed
of the appropriate variety with a one-row,
hand-operated. Planet-Junior type planter.
Seed was planted at a depth of 0.5 inches
at 6 to 10 seeds/foot of row. The center
row of each 24-foot plot was planted by
hand to achieve a precise spacing of 3
inches between seeds. The hand-operated
planter was used to open and cover the
seed furrows.
Weed control was achieved with
applications of Betamix Progress at 0.25 lb
a.i./acre on May 20 and May 30. Flea
beetles were controlled with carbaryl
applied at 1.0 lb a.i./acre on May 20 and
May 30. An additional 60 lb N/acre was
applied as Solution 32 on June 24 and
immediately incorporated with 0.5 inches
of irrigation. These applications were
made with a conventional ground sprayer.
Total seasonal irrigation applied to the
crop was 22 inches.
Plant stands were monitored on
May 12, May 15, and May 26; 7, 10, and
21 days after planting. Stands were hand
thinned on June 4. Border rows were
thinned to approximately 8-inch spacing.
The center rows of each plot were thinned
by removing two of three plants in a
uniform pattern, resulting in 9-inch plant
spacing.
Sugarbeets were harvested on
October 14. Tops were removed in stages
78 Klamath Evperiment Station 1997
with a metal flail, followed by a rubber flail.
Beets were lifted with a one-row, tool-bar
mounted set of lifters. All beets from the center
row of each plot were counted and weighed. Ten
beets from each plot were sent to Spreckels Sugar
Company laboratory at Woodland, California for
tare loss and sugar content analysis. Field weights
were adjusted for tare loss before calculation of
beet and sugar yields. Data were subjected to
statistical analysis using MSUSTAT software.
Gross crop value was calculated for each plot
using a formula for price per ton of beets derived
from the Spreckels Sugar Company contract,
assuming a net selling price of $24.00/cwt. The
formula is:
Price/ton = (3.518 x % sugar) - 15.4.
Results and Discussion
Weather conditions following planting
were very favorable for germination and emergence. Data from the KES weather station indicated 4-inch soil temperatures increased from a
daily mean of 47 °F to 58 °F from May 5 to May
12. Average daily air temperatures were 59 °F
during the week and 63 °F in the following week.
Under these conditions, emergence was rapid and
uniform (Table 1). At 7 days after planting,
pelleted seed had significantly less emergence
than primed or encrusted seed, and Bighorn was
significantly lower in emergence than ACH 211
or Beta 8422. Differences in emergence at 10 and
21 days after planting were small and nonsignificant. The population of harvested beets was
uniform across varieties and seed types.
Beet yields, percentage of sugar, and sugar
yield were not significantly different between
varieties (Table 2). There was a slight advantage
for Bighorn, consistent with the relative differ-
Klamath Experiment Station
Effect of Seed Enhancement on Performance of three Sugarbeet Varieties, 1997
ences observed between Bighorn and Beta
8422 in an adjacent variety trial. In that trial,
Bighorn was higher in beet yield by 3.4 ton/
acre, sugar content by 0.3 percent, and sugar
production by 1820 lb/acre. ACH 211 was not
included in the variety trial.
Although pelleted seed slightly delayed emergence compared with encrusted or
primed seed, a slight advantage in beet yield
and sugar content resulted in significantly (P =
0.05) higher sugar yield for pelleted seed than
for encrusted seed (Table 2). The crop value
advantage was $130/acre compared to primed
seed and $170/acre compared to encrusted
seed. The advantage for pelleted seed over
encrusted seed was statistically significant at P
= 0.0544 with an LSD = $140/acre.
Summary
Under nearly ideal conditions, emergence and early season crop development
were largely Unaffected by pelleting or priming seed of three sugarbeet varieties. In this
study, planting was delayed beyond the ideal
time for planting, because of soil drainage
limitations at this site. Earlier planting in more
adverse conditions may produce greater
effects on crop establishment.
Although pelleted seed slightly delayed emergence at 7 days after planting, it
produced significantly higher sugar yield than
encrusted seed, averaged for three varieties.
Crop value was also significantly higher (P =
0.10) for pelleted seed than encrusted seed.
The increase in crop value was more than
enough to offset the increase in seed costs for
pelleting.
Klamath Experiment Station 1997 79
Klamath Experiment Station
Table 1. Effect of seed enhancement treatments on emergence of three sugarbeet varieties at
Klamath Falls, OR, 1997.
Seed
type
Variety
May 12
7 DAP
Emergence
May 15
May 26
10 DAP
21 DAP
%
Harvested
beet
population
1000 beets/A
Beta 8422
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
31
27
28
93
87
91
95
93 95
30.2
31.0
29.5
ACH 211
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
53
47
16
93
97
92
94
98
97
30.2
30.2
30.2
Bighorn
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
18
24
9
90
90
90
92
95
96
29.7
29.7
30.0
Beta 84 2 2
ACH 211
Bighorn
29
39
17
90
94
90
94
96
94
30.2
30.2
29.8
LSD (P = 0.05)
CV (%)
10
37
NS
4
NS
2
NS
6
Seed type
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
34
33
18
92
91
91
94
95
96
30.0
30.3
29.9
LSD (P.-- 0.05)
CV (%)
13
54
NS
5
NS
4
NS
5
Treatment effects:
Variety
80 Klamath Experiment Station 1997
Klamath Experiment Station
Table 2. Effect of seed enhancement treatments on performance of three sugarbeet varieties at
Klamath Falls, OR, 1997.
Seed
type
Variety
Beet
yield
Percent
sugar
Sugar
yield
Crop
value
ton/A
%
lb/A
$/A
Beta 8422
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
31.7
30.2
34.7
17.1
16.7
18.0
10860
10080
12400
1420
1310
1650
ACH 211
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
31.6
32.1
31.7
17.1
17.4
18.7
10820
11160
11820
1420
1470
1590
Bighorn
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
34.4
34.2
35.0
18.0
17.5
17.4
12320
11940
12200
1640
1580
1610
32.2
31.8
34.5
17.3
17.7
17.6
11110
11270
12150
1460
1490
1610
NS
9
NS
7
NS
10
NS
11
32.6
32.2
33.8
17.4
17.2
18.0
11330
11060
12140
1490
1450
1620
NS
8
NS
6
930
10
NS
11
Treatment effects:
Variety
Beta 8422
ACH 211
Bighorn
LSD (P
CV (%)
0.05)
Seed type
Primed
Encrusted
Pelleted
LSD (P = 0.05)
CV (%)
Klamath Experiment Station 1997 81