Crop Profile for Sugar Beets in Montana Click here to download a Power Point presentation on sugar beets

The sugar beet is a herbaceous dicotyledon plant belonging to the Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot) family. The sugar beet has been cultivated for thousands of years in one form or another as a sweets source. It came from what is known as the Mediterranean center of origin. Its potential as a source of sugar was not discovered until 1747. A German chemist, Andreus Marggraf, discovered the sugar in the beet was the same as the sugar in sugar cane. The first factory was built in 1799-1801 in Silesia. However it failed because the sugar content was too low. In effort to eliminate France's dependency on foreign sources, Napoleon directed a sugar beet to be developed. French agriculturists, Louis Vilmorin, selected beets by progeny test methods and raised the sugar from 7.5% to 16 or 17 %. By 1814, small factories were operating in France, Belgian Germany, and Austria. By 1880 sugar beets had practically as high a sugar percentage as today. The first attempt to produce sugar beets in the United States came in 1832 in Massachusetts, an effort that was not successful. Some forty years later, production of sugar beet was successfully started in California. Since the earliest days of successful production, growers have been dependent on processing companies, with respect to selling their crops. Usually a grower will not seed sugar beets until a binding contract with a processing company or cooperative has been negotiated. The sugar beet is a biennial plant. It normally completes its vegetative cycle in two years. The first year it develops a large succulent root in which much reserve food is stored, thus, it is farmed as an annual. During the second year it produces flowers and seeds. Prolonged cool periods can cause the seed stalk to be present the first year, but strains have been selected to reduce bolting. The beet "root" is divided into three regions: the top, which is a convex cone from which the leaves are borne in a dense spiral. The leaves are simple and fairly smooth in outline, with a blade and petiole. The neck (hypocotyl) is a narrow zone but the broadest part of the "root" and the fleshy root, which terminates in a taproot. There are vertical groves along the opposite sides of the root from which secondary roots arise. Flowers typical of the goosefoot family are perfect, but incomplete. The caylx is five-parted, and the corolla is absent. There are five stamens and three styles leading to a compound pistil. Flowers are surrounded by leaf like bracts and are borne in a branched panicle like spike. The sugar beet has a typical aggregate fruit that yields a seedball with two or more viable seeds, or germs. The entire fruit is planted. Because two or more seeds, multiple seedlings would emerge and thinning (usually by hand) was necessary. Now a fruit with one seed has been developed, which allows for precision planting.

PRODUCTION FACTS

The Crop Profile/PMSP database, including this document, is supported by USDA NIFA.

SUGAR BEETS IN MONTANA All Irrigated Acreage, Yield, Production, Price, and Total Value Last updated March 28, 2002 Acres Year

2002 2001

Harvested for Grain (000)

Planted (000) 59.5 57.4

2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

Production Yield Per Acre Tons.

53.5

Total Tons (000)

21.5

Value Price Per Ton Dols.

Percent

Of Production (000) Dols.

1,319 1,468 1,410 1,224 1,300

17.20 17.88 15.33 16.86 17.92

34.70 40.40 36.90 40.50 48.10

Production regions The major growing areas for Montana sugar beets are in the sandy loam soils along the Yellowstone River and its tributaries, from Park City in the west to the Hardin area in the south to Sidney in the east. COUNTY & AREA

Planted Acres

Harvested Acres

Per Acre Dollars

1,150 23.9 23.8 22.6 21.0 22.6

55.2 61.7 62.4 58.3 57.5

60.7 61.8 64.0 59.9 57.7

Sucrose

Yield Per Acre Tons

Production in Tons

Sucrose Percent

Dawson Richland Roosevelt Sheridan Other NORTHEAST

3,330 19,310 3,720 -620 26,980

2,430 18,120 3,430 -600 24,580

20.2 21.5 21.3 -12.7 21.1

49,200 388,800 73,200 -7,600 518,800

17.59 18.26 18.80 -18.30 18.27

Big Horn Carbon Stillwater Treasure Yellowstone SOUTH CENTRAL

8,100 4,930 550 3,370 10,430 27,380

7,840 4,480 550 3,210 9,830 25,910

28.6 23.5 26.5 27.7 25.7 26.5

224,600 105,200 14,600 88,800 252,700 685,900

16.62 15.75 16.04 16.61 16.43 16.40

45,769 59,307 52,029 49,572 62,530

856 961 834 850 1,087

Custer Prairie Rosebud SOUTHEAST MONTANA

1,610 2,530 2,200 6,340

760 1,780 2,170 4,710

22.6 22.0 26.7 24.3

17,200 39,200 57,900 114,300

17.44 18.09 16.41 17.14

60,700

55,200

23.9

1,319,000

17.20

1/ Counties with individual operators having 60 percent or more of acres planted are combined into "other" counties to avoid disclosure of individual information.

Cultural Practices Industry policy dictates that sugar beets only be produced one year in three on a given rotation although some Montana fields are planted to sugar beets every other year. The impact of certain soilborne diseases, nematodes and weeds are minimized through longer rotations. Rotation crops include barley, wheat, corn, beans, alfalfa, and potatoes. Sugar beets following dry beans is not recommended due to elevated high nitrogen levels in the soil after bean cropping. Generally, manure is not applied to sugar beet fields in the spring. Sugar beets usually are planted in early May and harvested in September through October. There usually are 150 – 160 days between planting and harvest. Favorable planting temperatures are between 40 and 60 F. Optimal pH is between 6 and 8. Sugar beets are planted to a depth of 0.75” to 1.25”. Narrow row widths (22” to 26”) help plants compete better with weeds. Plants usually are spaced 6” apart. Total plants per acre average 55,000 plants. The entire Montana sugar beet crop is produced under irrigation. Most sugar beets are furrow irrigated although there is some sprinkler irrigation in the Culbertson area near the North Dakota border. Approximately 25 to 30 inches of irrigation water are required to produce a single sugar beet crop. High soil moisture favors disease development, so irrigation must be managed to minimize the need to irrigate during the first six weeks after seed germination. However, if the soil is too dry, seedlings are susceptible to desiccation. Sugar beet harvest begins in late September and continues into November. Adequate soil moisture makes harvest easier. Harvest begins by removing the beet tops topping) and then digging the roots and loading them onto trucks to be hauled to the processing plant or stockpiled for processing later. Cool air temperatures are necessary for tubers to be stored successfully. Following harvest, the beet tops and small beets remaining in the field may be used as livestock forage.

Critical Pest Management Issues Critical pest management issues in the Montana sugar beet industry include the following: ● ● ● ●

Development of Cercospora isolates tolerant or resistant to fungicides. Development of lambsquarters and kochia populations resistant to herbicides. Toxicity levels of pesticides used control the most serious diseases, insects, and weeds. Few effective alternatives to the use of these pesticides exist.

Worker activities that may occur during the growing season

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Disease Scouting Fertilization Harvest Insect Scouting Irrigation Replanting

As needed for instances of killing frost, wind or hail.

Rogueing Spottreatment Thinning Weed Scouting

Insect Pests Sugarbeet root maggot (Tetanops myopaeformis) Importance: On average, sugarbeet root maggots cause more economic damage than any other insect pest in Montana sugarbeets. About 80% of all Montana sugarbeet fields require annual controls for this insect pest. Damage: Sugarbeet root maggots feed on the root surface. Most feeding damage occurs on young beets in late spring – early summer causing deeply scarred or severed taproots. Yield losses result from: ●

Seedling mortality and stand loss

●

Diminished root systems that do not use water and nutrients effectively

●

Reduced plant vigor and yield from damaged plants

●

Harvest losses when rotobeaters knock weakly-anchored roots out of the row

●

Insect damage that makes the plant root system more susceptible to secondary disease problems.

Integrated Pest Management: If left uncontrolled, root maggot may result in yield losses of up to 10 tons/A. Populations can fluctuate considerably in a given area from year to year. Yet once damage begins to appear in the field, there are few control options available. For this reason, monitoring sugarbeet root maggot activity is an important management tool. The sticky stake trapping method is used on 56% of Montana sugarbeet acres to indicate when treatments are needed. Other management tools include crop rotations, distancing of sugarbeet fields in a given area to minimize movement of adults from previous year to current fields, and early establishment of vigorous stands that can withstand more damage. However, chemical controls are critical for significant sugarbeet root maggot control. Aldicarb, chlorpyrifos, fonophos, and terbufos are the specific insecticides used in maggot control in Montana. All of these insecticides are organophosphates and thereby targeted for discontinuation by the EPA. However, few alternatives for adequate root maggot controls exist without the use of effective insecticides.

Wireworms Importance: In 1998 and 1999, 51% and 37.4% respectively of all sugarbeets in Montana and surrounding production areas required controls for wireworms. Infestation levels vary from year to year. Wireworms are among the more difficult insects to detect before significant plant damage has already occurred. Damage: Wireworms feed on roots of emerging plants, killing the seedlings, and reducing the stand. Under a heavy infestation, bare spots may appear in fields making reseeding necessary. Wireworm infestations are more likely to develop where grasses, including grain crops, are growing. Small grains, corn, potatoes, sugar beets and vegetables are susceptible to wireworm injury. Legumes are less often injured. Integrate Pest Management (IPM): In fields known to contain wireworm larvae, summer fallow with frequent tillage can reduce damage. In some cases, replanting can reduce early season crop damage from wireworms. Other cultural controls include not planting sugarbeets after crops that had a heavy wireworm infestation the previous year without fallowing, tilling, or applying an effective insecticide. Decisions to use insecticides for wireworm management must be made before planting since no rescue treatments are available. Sampling (through baiting or sifting soil samples to check for the presence of larvae) is the most accurate way to predict wireworm outbreaks. Chemical Control: If used, chemicals must be applied as pre-plant or seed treatments. Aldicarb (Temik), fonophos (Dyphonate), and terbufos (Counter) are used for wireworm control. All of these are highly toxic organophosphates and slated to be banned by the EPA.

Cutworms Scientific Names of cutworm species: Pale western cutworm: Agrotis orthogonia Black cutworm: Agrotis ipsilon Granulate cutworm: Agrotis subterranea Variegated cutworm: Peridroma saucia Army cutworm: Euxoa auxiliaris Biology: The subterranean cutworm species (pale western, black, and granulate cutworms), primarily feed underground, cutting plants off below the soil line. The first sign of a problem may be wilting plants or many plants in a row cut off overnight.Other cutworm species (variegated and army cutworms) feed aboveground, cutting plants off at or above the soil line. These species may also feed on the center crown of older plants. Cultural controls: Cutworms often build up in rotation crops such as cereals and alfalfa that precede sugar beet. Monitoring can indicate whether cutworm numbers in these rotational crops are high enough to put a sugar beet crop at risk if planted in a given year. Disking and effective weed management are useful practices in reducing cutworm numbers. Economic thresholds and chemical controls: In Montana, most cutworm eggs hatch in late May and early June. Early detection of cutworm feeding and damage is essential to a good control program. Fields are generally treated when 5% of plants are damaged or cut, and larvae are less than 1 inch long. Aldicarb (Temik), terbufos (Counter), chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), and esfenvalerate (Asana) are used for cutworm control.

Flea beetles (Psylliodes punctulata Melsheimer) Importance: Approximately 8% of Montana sugarbeets require controls for flea beetles. Damage: Adult flea beetles feed on leaves causing the most damage in sugarbeets. The damage is easy to recognize by the round feeding holes (“shotholes”) in leaves. Feeding damage can reduce plant growth and even kill plants, depending upon the density of beetles present and the growth stage of the sugar beet. Root damage by larval feeding usually is minor and control generally is not economical. Integrated Pest Management: Most management programs aim at controlling adult flea beetles early in the spring when seedlings are small and most susceptible to defoliation. Beetle generations that arise later in the growing season may cause some feeding damage, but sugarbeet plants generally compensate through increased summer growth. Cultural control methods include clean cultivation since weed species such as mustard or lambsquarters can serve as alternate hosts. When adult populations are low and growing conditions are good, no chemical control may be necessary. Higher populations may require insecticides to prevent losses. Adult beetles can migrate or be windborne from one field to the next, so long-term control may require more than one insecticide application. Post-emergence insecticides used for flea beetle control include: carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Lorsban 4E), esfenvalerate (Asana). Aldicarb (Temik 15G) can be used for pre-emergence control.

Sugar beet root aphid Damage: Sugarbeet root aphids feed mainly on the fibrous roots rather than directly on the main storage root. Symptoms include a field pattern of circular or elliptical patches consisting of chlorotic and wilty plants. Cultural controls: Long rotations (minimum of 3 years) and effective weed management are important preventative controls. Additional preventative controls include working infested fields immediately after harvest, disinfecting equipment before going into uninfested fields, and not using tailwater from infested fields on uninfested fields. Cultural controls also include avoiding water stress and minimizing the interval between irrigation cut-off and harvest since yield and quality losses are greatest in water-stressed sugar beets. Economic thresholds and chemical controls: No economic thresholds have been established for sugar beet root aphid. However, studies in California show that even light to moderate infestations (less than 10%) can cause serious yield reductions. No chemicals are currently registered for use on sugar beet root aphid in California. Aphistar was used on over 4,000 acres of sugar beets in Montana to control root aphids in sugar beets in 1999.

Sugar beet leaf hoppers Damage:The main concern with sugarbeet leafhoppers is that they serve as the vector of beet curly top virusDirect feeding by sugarbeet leafhoppers causes little direct damage. Beet curly top is an extremely destructive disease of sugarbeet as well as other crops, e.g., tomatoes.Viral symptoms include dwarfed and distorted leaves and roots. Control: In general, foliar insecticides have not been effective in controlling beet leafhopper and reducing the incidence of beet curly top virus when applied directly to the sugarbeet crop.

Percent acreage affected by insects that caused the most loss or concern in sugarbeet in the 1998 (top) and 1999 (bottom) production seasons. (Responses were limited to 10 insects per factory district). UNITED STATES (%)

Montana, N. Wyoming W. North Dakota

Root maggot

52.4 49.1

82.0 77.2

Wireworm

30.4 26.9

51.0 37.4

Insect

Leafhopper

21.1 22.2

37.0 56.5

Cutworm

21.0 18.0

49.0 49.6

Root aphid

10.1 14.6

44.0 26.0

Flea beetle

8.1 7.8

59.0 67.1

Grasshopper

6.5 2.6

5.7 9.6

Lygusbug

3.7 2.0

0 0.4

Carrion beetle

2.0 1.9

23.7 24.0

Springtail

0.8 0.4

0 4.0

TOTAL ACREAGE IN REGION

1,439,732 1,507,124

123,429 120,189

Percent acreage on which other insect control practices were used in Sugar beet in the 1998 (top) and 1999 (bottom) production seasons. Practice

UNITED STATES (%)

Montana N. Wyoming W. North Dakota

Crop rotation

79.5 81.2

58.8 59.7

Timing of planting

29.4 32.0

66.6 75.7

Tillage

35.2 36.9

21.4 40.5

Weed control

45.0 45.2

61.7 60.0

Field sanitation & elimination of ground keepers

9.3 10.2

50.1 28.0

Enhancing biological control 7.8 2.4 Cleaning equipment

4.4 2.6

28.4 17.2

Irrigation/tailwater control

5.0 4.1

17.0 0

Scouting

83.2 91.3

98.1 93.9

Light, sticky, or other trapping

39.0 37.3

54.5 57.3

Degree Day Models

34.4 37.4

39.0 40.8

TOTAL ACREAGE IN REGION

1,439,732 1,507,124

123,429 120,189

Common name (a.i.) Trade name Company

Target Pest

Aldicarb (0.15) Temik 15G Rhone-Poulenc

Aphids

Aldicarb (0.15) Temik 15G Rhone-Poulenc

Leafminers, leafhoppers

Aldicarb (0.15) Temik 15G Rhone-Poulenc

Root maggot

Aldicarb (0.15) Temik 15G Rhone-Poulenc

Cyst nematodes

Label Rate

Uniform rate (lb/A ai)

7 – 14 lb/A (4.5-9.5 oz/A row)

1.05 – 2.1

14-20 lb/A (9.5-13.5 oz/A row)

2.1 – 3.0

7-14 lb/A (4.5-9.5 oz/A row)

1.05 – 2.1

When applied

1-2 Planting 1-3” below seed, Post 1-2 Planting 1-3” below seed, Post 1 Planting, Post

27-33 lb/A (18-22 oz/A row (22” row))

No. Apps

4.05 – 4.95 Planting or 1 wk before Banded

14-20 lb/A each at planting and postermergence (9.513.5 oz/1000 ft row split appl.)

2.1 – 3.0

27 lb/A (18oz/1000 ft row)

4.05

Aldicarb (0.15) Temik 15G Rhone-Poulenc

Cyst nematodes

Aldicarb (0.15) Temik 15G Rhone-Poulenc

Cyst nematodes

Carbaryl (0.430) Sevin 4F Rhone-Poulenc

Armyworm, beet leaf beetle, Fall armyworm, flea beetles, leafhoppers, webworms

1 to 1 ½ qt/A

Carbaryl (0.430) Sevin 4F Rhone-Poulenc

Cutworms

1 ½ qt/A

Post

0 86 – 1.29

2 Post