This category contains information about a series of leaf diseases in sugarbeet, caused by fungi that attack the beet leaves, such as cercospora, rust, powdery mildew and ramularia.
This category contains diseases caused by fungi that attack the beet leaves:
- Cercospora Leaf Spot
- Powdery Mildew
The symptoms of these leaf diseases generally can be observed during the summer until the harvest.
Cercospora Leaf Spot
Cercospora Leaf Spot (Cercospora beticola) is a leaf disease, characterized by the appearance of gray spots on the leaves with a red or brown margin and with lots of tiny black eruptions. In case of severe attacks, these eruptions may expand and result in the complete desiccation of the leaves. The plant then reacts by producing a fresh growth of leaves.The fungus thrives under warm and wet conditions.
Control
The protection of the beet against leaf diseases is expressed around two main centers of interest:
1. Agronomic measures
- Avoid a too short crop rotation
- Good management of the crop residue in storage areas, that act as ‘reservoir’ for these fungi
- Choose a variety that is less susceptible to leaf diseases
2. Crop protection In certain regions, there is an industry network for the observation of symptoms of leaf diseases. When a disease is reported in one region or another, it is important to check your own fields to see if the disease is also observed there. In occurring case, before any spraying with an adequate fungicide, the beet grower will count and make sure that the intervention threshold is exceeded. According to the regions, 1 to 3 treatments will be needed. It is important to alternate the type of active ingredient used and not to spray too late in the season.
