Causes of Hollow Heart in Sugar Beets and Detailed Prevention and Control Methods
During cultivation, sugar beets often develop hollow heart, which seriously affects the quality of the sugar beet and brings economic losses to farmers, so measures must be taken to prevent and control this condition. So what causes hollow heart in sugar beets? How should it be prevented and controlled? Follow along as we take a look at the detailed introduction.
I. Causes of Hollow Heart
It is mainly caused by different environments and improper management, which leads to an uncoordinated rate of cell division and volume growth in the sugar beet root crown, resulting in hollow heart. During sugar beet cultivation, rainy weather is very common, so water is plentiful. Cell division in the root crown accelerates, and the volume grows relatively quickly, but if drought occurs later, cell division and volume growth are inhibited, thus forming hollow heart. In addition, improper cultivation management can also cause hollow heart; irrigation is one such factor. Excessive planting density and excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer all increase the probability of hollow heart, as they cause excessive vegetative growth of the root crown and lead to overly rapid cell division. Pests and diseases are also one of the causes of hollow heart. Manually breaking off leaves causes new regrowth, and the rapid turnover of new and old leaves causes elongation of the root crown, increasing the probability of hollow heart.
II. Prevention and Control Measures
1. First, during planting, deep plowing and hilling should be carried out to create a good soil environment, allowing the root tuber to grow normally and inhibiting the growth of the root tuber.
2. During planting, rational close planting should be carried out according to local actual conditions. In plots with abundant rainfall and higher accumulated temperature, planting can be appropriately sparse; conversely, in plots with less rainfall and lower accumulated temperature, planting should be appropriately dense. For soil that is loose, fertile, rich in organic matter, and heavily fertilized, planting can be appropriately sparse; otherwise, plant densely.
3. When fertilizing, note that it is not advisable to apply too much nitrogen fertilizer, so as to avoid excessive vegetative growth of the plants. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be applied rationally so that the plants grow both quickly and well. There are special fertilizers for sugar beets on the market that can be applied directly.
4. During drought, irrigate promptly, but flood irrigation is not advisable, so as to avoid excessive growth of the root tuber. Small amounts of frequent irrigation or sprinkler irrigation are suitable, keeping the soil moisture content at about 80%, which is beneficial for the accumulation of sugar in the sugar beet.
5. Pests and diseases should be controlled promptly, especially Cercospora leaf spot. At the same time, when breaking off leaves, try to break off the outer functional leaves so that the plants can carry out photosynthesis normally, which is beneficial for nutrient accumulation.
The above is an introduction to the causes of hollow heart in sugar beets and the prevention and control methods. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.