European Journal of Agronomy 12 2000 201 – 209
Sugar beet genotype response to soil compaction stress
T.A. Gemtos
a,
, C. Goulas
b
, T. Lellis
c
a
Laboratory of Farm Mechanization, Uni6ersity of Thessaly, Pedio Areos Str.,
38334
Volos, Greece
b
Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Uni6ersity of Thessaly, Pedio Areos Str.,
38334
Volos, Greece
c
TEI of Larissa, Larissa, Greece Received 23 March 1999; received in revised form 27 October 1999; accepted 26 January 2000
Abstract
Eleven sugar beet genotypes were tested for their performance under different soil compaction levels. The genotypes used were three inbreds, three commercial varieties widely cropped in Greece, four experimental hybrid varieties and
two multigerm OP lines. The experiment was conducted in pots in glasshouse. Pots were filled with soil and after placing the seed at a depth of 3 cm, the compaction pressure was applied. Two soil types, two initial soil water
contents and seven pressure levels ranging from a minimum pressure up to 400 kPa were the factors studied in a randomised complete block experiment with four replications. Results showed that sugar beet is sensitive to
compaction although low compaction pressures less than 200 kPa seemed to be beneficial. From the genotypes tested inbreds were more sensitive to pressure effects than hybrids. Differences among hybrid varieties were observed
indicating that response to soil compaction effect could be genotypically affected. This was further confirmed by the different response between the multigerm open polinated varieties © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords
:
Sugar beet; Soil compaction; Plant emergence; Plant growth; Genotypes www.elsevier.comlocateeuragr
1. Introduction
Sugar beet is considered as a sensitive crop to compaction Tijink and Maerlaender, 1998. Re-
duced emergence, initial growth and final yields were reported in compacted soils Chancellor,
1976; Gemtos and Lellis, 1997. Chancellor 1976 and references therein referred to data showing
that sugar beet yield was significantly reduced in a certain soil type when penetration resistance was
increased but in another soil type was not af- fected. He referred also to data where compacted
corn plots irrigated weekly had no significant effect on crop growth and yield but in the less
frequently irrigated plots early root development was severely retarded. Furthermore, in later stages
root growth was faster in compacted plots but the adverse effects remained. Based on these data,
Chancellor 1976 concluded that although the relation between crop yield and soil compaction is
not straightforward, seedlings emergence and root development were affected by compaction. Kub-
ota and Williams 1967 showed that even light compaction in a wet seedbed interfered with beet
Corresponding author. Tel.: + 30-421-742-46; fax: + 30- 421-742-70.
E-mail address
:
gemtosuth.gr T.A. Gemtos 1161-030100 - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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germination while heavier compaction generally reduced yields even in insensitive crops like bar-
ley. Soane et al. 1982 indicated that cereal plants’ growth and yield are likely to show opti-
mum response to certain soil compaction level. This optimum is related to soil type, crop growth
stage and climatic conditions. They referred to data by Jaggart 1972 showing that compaction
at 0 – 160 mm depth causing an increase of dry bulk density from 1.3 to 1.6 Mgm
3
affected beets and reduced sugar yield by 0.9 Mgha. Soane et
al. 1982 mentioned data reported by Cooke and Jaggart 1974 which indicated that compaction
reduced sugar yield by 1.9 Mgha and tops yield by 7 Mgha. Hebblethwaite and McGowan 1980
showed that compaction affects inversely sugar beet population and yields. Gemtos and Lellis
1997 showed that sugar beets growing in pots in a glasshouse are sensitive to compaction in the
initial stages of growth and only very light com- paction around 100 kPa was beneficial to the
crop. Compaction is considered as a factor adversely
affecting crop growth and yields although that contradicting results have been reported Soane et
al., 1982. Differences in rainfall over the years along with soil type are the two factors probably
explaining the contradicting results. Genotypic ef- fects could be considered as well but to our
knowledge data have not been reported. Modern varieties were developed under optimum soil con-
ditions resulting from continuous soil tillage mainly by ploughing. It is then reasonable to be
expected that they are adapted to conditions of minimum soil compaction. Taking into account
the variety of existing agronomic factors, and the complex
genotype × environment interactions,
genotypic differences for adaptation to soil condi- tions and especially response to soil compaction
stress could not be ruled out. The aim of this research was a preliminary attempt to study the
response of 11 sugar beet genotypes to stresses imposed by soil compaction.
2. Material and methods
