Effect of K, Na, Mg and Ca ions content in sugar beet seed pericarp and peg treatment on the resistance of the seedlings to Aphanomyces cochlioides Drech.

Dorota Laskowska

Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, Osada Pałacowa, 24-100 Puławy, Poland (Poland)

Apoloniusz Berbeć

Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, Osada Pałacowa, 24-100 Puławy, Poland (Poland)

Abstract

In previous investigations it was observed that the high content of Mg in sugar beet seed pericarp increased the resistance of seedlings to A. cochlioides Drech. The experiments conducted in 1991 - 95 aimed at verification of this fact. Beet seed pricarp was enriched with mineral elements in field conditions using different fertlization of stecklings. In laboratory conditions seeds washed twice in water were soaked in salt solutions (MgSO₄, Mg (NO₃)₂, KCl) or PEG 6000. Washing sugar beet seeds with water without any additional protection favours infection of the emerging seedlings with A. cochlioides. The mean results obtained from field experiments show that the lowest number of dead seedlings and significantly the highest number of survived ones were observed in the seeds washed and soaked in PEG. Similar results were found using KCl. The question still remains whether the protective effect is of a specific or osmotic character. The results confirmed a possibility of seedling protection in the above described way.

Keywords:

Aphanomyces cochlioides, black root rot, sugar beet