Abiotic Stress in Sugar Beet

The production of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is often limited by environmental conditions that cause decreased rates of photosynthesis, canopy expansion, root growth and sucrose accumulation. These conditions include insufficient water, heat, freezing temperatures and salinity. Compared to other crops such as cereals, harvestable sugar yields can be obtained even under harsh growing conditions. However, the realization of maximum production efficiency and profits demands that varieties must show less susceptibility to abiotic stress and improved yield stability across a range of environments. This is particularly urgent in light of climate change models that predict hotter and drier growing conditions for many areas. There are only limited breeding efforts to improve the tolerance of new varieties to these stresses, in part because the mechanisms of tolerance are poorly understood and methods to screen germplasm for resistant genotypes have not been fully developed. Fortunately, there appears to be significant genotypic diversity for tolerance to drought, heat, cold and salinity within sugar beet germplasm, so opportunities exist for varietal improvements. Developments in irrigation technologies and innovations in agronomy and soil management techniques may also contribute to improved yields of crops faced with abiotic stresses.