Link to IPM Elements for Beets

Link to New York Beet Crop Profile

Link to Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management

Recommended Varieties

Detroit Dark Red
Red Ace
Ruby Queen
Crosby (greens or roots)

1999 Cornell Report: Compost Effects on Beet Stands, Yield and Root Rot

The beet is a cool-season, root vegetable that tolerates frosts and mild freezes. Seed germinates at soil temperatures between 40° and 90°F, optimally 50° to 85°F. Because beet plants withstand cool growing conditions and the seed germinates at soil temperatures below 50°F, planting can begin in late April. The best root quality and color are obtained when the crop matures during cool temperatures and bright sunlight. When grown under warm conditions, root color is lighter, sugar content is lower, and color zoning in roots is more pronounced than under cool conditions.

Beets are biennial, normally producing an enlarged root the first growing season and, after a cold induction period, a seedstalk. Premature seedstalk initiation can occur if the plants are subjected to two to three weeks of temperatures below 45°F after they have several true leaves. Plants of some varieties initiate premature seedstalks more readily than others; many of the newer varieties are less sensitive to this problem.

Well-drained, sandy loam to silt loam soil is preferred for best growth and quality. Beets can also be grown on muck soil, but weed control is difficult. A soil with good structure is highly recommended because beets respond favorably to aeration.

A beet seedball normally contains from two to four viable seeds, and more plants than seedballs may result, especially if conditions are favorable for germination. Larger seedballs contain more seeds than do smaller seedballs. Desired plant spacing is obtained by adjusting seeding rate. Plants are sometimes thinned for the fresh market. See Table 14.1 Recommended spacing.

Crop rotation and disease management article

Table 14.1 Recommended spacing.
Type	Row (in inches)	In-row seeding rate1 (in pounds per acre)
Fresh-market	16-24	8-10
Processing	16-24	15-25
1: The lower rate of seed is sown early, so the roots will size quickly for early harvest.

Fertility

Use lime to maintain a pH of 6.5 to 6.8 in all parts of the field. Beets are especially sensitive to low pH and should not be planted in soil with a pH below 6.0. Because beets use boron inefficiently, this element must be applied to most soils in New York. A boron deficiency causes plant foliage to be stunted and distorted, and roots exhibit symptoms of internal breakdown. Boron is less available in high pH soils. Apply 2 1/2 to 5 pounds of boron per acre mixed with fertilizer. Use the lower rate if nutrients have been applied two to three times in the previous five years. Boron is toxic to many plants and care must be taken when developing a rotation plan. Beans, peas, and cucurbits are especially sensitive to boron residues. See Table 14.2 for the recommended rates of nitrogen, phophorus, and potassium.

Cornell cover crop decision tool

See Cornell article on nutrient deficiency symptoms

Go to Cornell Nutrient Analysis Lab website to find out how to get soil samples tested.

Cornell Soil Health website and manual

 SARE Publication: "Building Soils for Better Crops"

SARE publication: "Managing Cover Crops Profitably"

Table 14.2 Recommended nutrients based on soil tests.
N pounds/acre	P2O5 pounds/acre				K2O pounds/acre			Comments
	Soil Phosphorus Level				Soil Potassium Level
	low	med.	high		low	med.	high
150-175	150	100	50		300	200	100	Total recommended.
25-50	75	25	0		240	180	120	Broadcast and disk-in.
25	75	75	50		75	50	50	Band place with seeder.
50	0	0	0		0	0	0	Apply 4 weeks after planting.
50	0	0	0		0	0	0	Apply 6 weeks after planting.

Harvesting

For fresh market, the crop is usually ready for harvest in 60 to 85 days. The processing crop is harvested in 90 to 110 days, but a thick plant stand can be held in the field for a relatively long time. Processing beets are usually harvested until mid-November. Yields for the fresh market range from eight to 12 tons per acre and approximately 15 to 20 tons per acre for processing.

Machine harvesters are used for the processing crop and for the market crop that is sold topped. Beets for bunching are handpicked and tied. Topped beets can be stored for several months at temperatures near 32°F and 95 to 98 percent relative humidity.

See Cornell Report: Food Safety Begins on the Farm

See Cornell "Smart Marketing" series.

See USDA grade standards for fresh beets, beet greens, and processed beets

See USDA Marketing site

See current wholesale prices from US markets

SARE Publication: "Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers"

SARE Publication: "Direct Marketing Resource Guide"

Disease Management

| Leaf spots | Pocket rot | Seed Rot | Damping off |
| Root rot | Sugar Beet cyst nematode |

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

Leaf spots, caused primarily by Cercospora beticola but also by Phoma batae

Penn State beet disease fact sheet

Time for concern: Most prevalent in midseason with daytime temperatures of 75° to 80°F and with frequent rainfall or long periods of 90 to 100 percent relative humidity.

Key characteristics: Cercospora leaf spot appears as small, circular lesions that are light tan to brown with a distinct dark brown to purple halo. Phoma leaf spot appears as lesions of various size with concentric ring pattern and fruiting bodies of the pathogen. When lesions of both pathogens mature, the centers become gray and brittle and fall out.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Record the occurrence and severity of leaf spot. No thresholds have been established.
Resistant varieties	No resistant varieties are currently available.
Crop rotation	Minimum two year rotation with nonhost crops preferably grains. Crop rotation and disease management article Cornell Forage Species Selection Tool
Site selection	Avoid fields with tree lines and stagnant air circulation, as long duration of leaf-wetness is conducive for disease development. Also, weeds belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae may serve as a source of inoculum.
Fertility	Use nitrogen to grow more leaves which will aid during harvest.
Seed selection/treatment	Plant commercially treated seed to prevent seed decay and reduce seedborne inoculum.
Postharvest	Crop debris should be destroyed as soon as possible to remove this source of disease for other plantings and to initiate decomposition.
Sanitation	This is not a currently viable management option.

Compound(s)
Comparing Environmental Risks of Pesticides In the "Field Use EIQ" column is the range of EIQ (Environmental Impact Quotient) values for the rate range recommended for each pesticide (lower EIQ = lower environmental impact). Other pesticide risk models are useful for specific purposes. WIN-PST is required for some USDA NRCS conservation plans.
Common name Trade Name	Rate/A Product	PHI (days)	REI (hours)	Field Use EIQ	Comments
azoxystrobin
Amistar 80WDG	2-5 oz	0	4	1.5-4.6	Do not apply more than 2 sequential foliar applications of these products or other strobilurin (Group 11) before alternating with a fungicide that has a different mode of action.  Do not spray these products where spray drift may reach apple trees or use same sprayer to apply sprays to apple trees.
azoxystrobin
Quadris F	6.2-15.4 fl. oz.	0	4	1.3-3.4	Do not apply more than 2 sequential foliar applications of these products or other strobilurin (Group 11) before alternating with a fungicide that has a different mode of action.  Do not spray these products where spray drift may reach apple trees or use same sprayer to apply sprays to apple trees.
copper compounds
Champ F   or OLF  Copper comparison article	1.3 - 2.66 lb	0	24	19-38	Begin spraying after disease detection. Label varies with manufacturer and formulation. Addition of a suitable agricultural spray oil is recommended.
pyraclostrobin
Cabrio EG	8-12 oz	0	12	3-5	No aerial application in NYS. Cabrio is labeled for Alternaria leaf spot and Cercospora leaf spot. Do not make more than 2 sequential applications before alternating to a non-strobilurin (Group 11) fungicide witha different mode of action.
Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Key characteristics: Sugar beet cyst nematode eggs are enclosed in brown, leathery, lemon-shaped cysts, 1/40 inch in length. When first evident on the root surface, females are white or cream colored. The effected plants are stunted, wilt at midday, and produce small beets.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	For documentation of occurrence, begin scouting four to six weeks after planting. One sign that a field is infested is the presence of swollen, immature females attached to the surface of the roots. Dig roots carefully to prevent braking of roots and jarring loose the females. The first evidence of infestation aboveground is stunted growth in a small area of the field. Record the occurrence of sugar beet cyst nematodes. The threshold value is six to nine eggs per cubic centimeters (cc) of soil. Collect soil samples in the fall or a few weeks prior to planting for analysis. See Reference 2. See article about on-farm method of assessing nematode population
Resistant varieties	No resistant varieties are available.
Crop rotation	Minimum four year rotation with nonhost crops, if soil is heavily infested. Plants in the Brassicaceae (crucifer) and Chenopodiaceae (spinach and lambsquarters) families are hosts to this nematode and should not be planted during this rotation time period. See Reference 3.Crop rotation and disease management article Cornell Forage Species Selection Tool
Postharvest	Crop debris should be destroyed as soon as possible after harvest to stop further development of the pathogen on host roots and to initiate decomposition.
Sanitation	Clean equipment after use on an infested area.
Site selection and Seed selection/treatment	These are not currently viable management options.

Compound(s)
Comparing Environmental Risks of Pesticides In the "Field Use EIQ" column is the range of EIQ (Environmental Impact Quotient) values for the rate range recommended for each pesticide (lower EIQ = lower environmental impact). Other pesticide risk models are useful for specific purposes. WIN-PST is required for some USDA NRCS conservation plans.
Common name Trade Name	Rate/A Product	PHI (days)	REI (hours)	Field Use EIQ	Comments
* = Restricted use only. Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Insect Management

| Spinach leafminer |

SARE Publication: "Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies"

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

Spinach leafminer, Pegomya hyoscyami Only a pest if infested leaves are to be harvested or if beets are to be sold in bunches. Infestations do not reduce yield, and beets grown for their roots do not need treatment.

Idaho spinach leafminer identification page

Time for concern: Emergence through harvest
Key characteristics: Adult flies are gray with yellow legs. Adults emerge in late May and early June and lay small clusters of eggs on the undersides of leaves. Newly hatched larvae bore into the leaves producing characteristic slender, winding mines and blister-like blotches.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Scout for eggs on the lower surface of the leaf. If treatments are needed, make sure that the lower leaf surfaces are covered. Use air blast or high pressure, high volume rigs.
Natural enemies	Natural enemies help control the spinach leafminer populations. Use Reference 4 for identification of natural enemies. Michigan State site "Enhancing Beneficial Insects with Native Plants" ATTRA publication: "Farmscaping to enhance biological control"
Note(s)	Destruction of weed hosts can help reduce the risk of infestation. The use of protective crop screens or covers can prevent infestations.
Resistant varieties	No resistant varieties are available.
Crop rotation	Because leafminers overwinter in the soil, avoiding fields planted to beets the previous year may help reduce infestations.
Insecticide Resistance Management	A classification of insecticides based on their mode of action is available in pdf format. This guide can be used to help avoid or delay the development of insecticide resistance, as well as manage populations that have developed resistance to a particular insecticide. It is a large file - 97 page, 780k pdf file  Shelton, A.M., W.T. Wilsey, and D. M. Soderlund. 2001. Classification of insecticides and acaracides for resistance management.
Site selection, Postharvest, and Sanitation	These are not currently viable management options.

Compound(s)
Comparing Environmental Risks of Pesticides In the "Field Use EIQ" column is the range of EIQ (Environmental Impact Quotient) values for the rate range recommended for each pesticide (lower EIQ = lower environmental impact). Other pesticide risk models are useful for specific purposes. WIN-PST is required for some USDA NRCS conservation plans.
Common name Trade Name	Rate/A Product	PHI (days)	REI (hours)	Field Use EIQ	Comments
diazinon
*Diazinon 50W 0.5 lb/lb	0.5-1 lb	14	24	11-22
spinosad
SpinTor 2SC 2lb/gal	4.5-6 fl oz	7	4	1-2	Do not apply more than 21 oz per crop per season.
Entrust 80% 0.8 lb/lb	2-3 oz	7	4	2-3	Do not apply more than 6.5 oz per crop per season.
* = Restricted use only. Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Weed Management

Key characteristics: Weed fact sheets provide a good reference for common weed identification. See Reference 5. Also see Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide.

Cornell Weed Ecology and Management Laboratory website

Ontario, Canada weed identification gallery

Penn State Weed Fact Sheets

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Weeds may be unevenly distributed over a field. Localized areas of severe weed infestations or atypical conditions, such as poorly drained areas, high spots, and field edges, may be recorded on a weed map. A weed map should be on file for each field. Make a rough sketch of the field, including landmarks, boundaries, crop row direction, compass directions, roads, planting date, map preparation date, and any other important details. The following information should be indicated on the map: species of weed, size of weed, density of each species, and distribution of weeds. Scout fields two to three weeks after planting to evaluate the success of the current season's program and at or near harvest to help predict weed control practices that will be necessary for the following year. Cornell Weed Assessment List (scouting form) Manitoba, Canada weed scouting guide
Site selection	Refer to weed maps to avoid problem weeds when choosing fields for beets.
Cultivation	Cultivation is essential in beet weed control. See Cornell fact sheet on mechanical weed control SARE Publication: "Steel in the Field"
Banding herbicides	Banding of herbicides at planting is useful in beet production. Herbicide banding can result in up to 60 percent savings in herbicide costs. Contact CCE for more information.
Cover Crops, Weed Seed Bank Assessment	See report on using buckwheat as a weed control cover crop See report on estimating weed seed banks SARE publication: "Managing Cover Crops Profitably" Cornell cover crop decision tool Cornell buckwheat cover crop handbook Cornell Forage Species Selection Tool

Compound(s)
Comparing Environmental Risks of Pesticides In the "Field Use EIQ" column is the range of EIQ (Environmental Impact Quotient) values for the rate range recommended for each pesticide (lower EIQ = lower environmental impact). Other pesticide risk models are useful for specific purposes. WIN-PST is required for some USDA NRCS conservation plans.
Common name Trade Name	Rate/A Product	PHI (days)	REI (hours)	Field Use EIQ	Comments
preplant incorporated
cycloate (annual grasses and broadleaves except galinsoga, ragweed and mustard)
RoNeet  6-E 6 lb/gal	2-2.67 qt		12	45-60	Use the lower rate with hot, dry, soil conditions. When possible, apply 7-10 days ahead of planting and incorporate immediately. Reworking the soil at planting often improves weed control and reduces the chance of crop stunting.
preemergence
*s-metolachlor(annual grasses, yellow nutsedge, galinsoga, nightshade species, and  selected broadleaves)
**Dual Magnum 7.62EC 7.62 lb/gal	0.67 pt	24		12	Not for use in Nassau/Suffolk Counties.   See comments below.
Make a single application after planting, before the crop or weeds emerge.  This may be made as either a broadcast or banded application.  Do not use on soils having less than 1.5% or greater than 10% organic matter. Syngenta has created a new means of acquiring the indemnification required when using Dual Magnum on the vegetable crops registered on New York State’s multi-crop 24(c) Special Local Need (SLN) supplemental label.  The required product label and indemnification can only be obtained through the “special labels” link found at www.farmassist.com and must be obtained by the ‘end-user’.  If difficulties are encountered in using the website call the Syngenta Customer Resource Center at 866-796-4368.
preemergence or postemergence
pyrazon (annual broadleaves)
Pyramin 65 DF 4.51 SC	4.6-5.4 lb 5.5-6.5 pt		12	37-43 44-52	Effective with rain. Apply at time of seeding. A postemergence (emergency or salvage) treatment may also be used if soil applied preemergence herbicides have failed or were missed. Timing of the postemergence treatment is critical. Beets must have at least 2 expanded true leaves and weeds should have fewer than 2-4 true leaves. Larger weeds will not be controlled.
postemergence
clethodim (annual and perennial grasses)
*Select 2EC 2 lb/gal	6-8 fl oz	30	24	2	For control of numerous annual and perennial grasses. Apply when grasses are 2-6 inches tall and actively growing. DO NOTapply more than 0.5 lb ai/A/season of either formulation. Application on LONG ISLAND is restricted to no more than 0.25 lb ai/A/season. Always use a crop oil concentrate (COC) at 1% V/V in the finished spray volume with Select 2EC and only 0.25% non-ionic surfactant (NIS) with Select Max.
Select Max 0.97lb/gal	12-16 fl.oz.	30	24	2-6
clopyralid (ragweed, hairy galinsoga, smartweed, wild buckwheat, dandelion, hairy nightshade, Canada thistle)
*#Stinger 3 lb/gal	0.5 pt	30	12	4	NOT FOR USE IN NASSAU/SUFFOLK COUNTIES. Make 1 broadcast application per crop per year. Stinger may be tank mixed with other herbicides labeled or use on garden (red) beets.
phenmedipham (annual broadleaves and grasses, except pigweed)
Spin-Aid 1.3 lb/gal	1.5-6 pt	60	24	7-29	Apply when weeds have fewer than 2 true leaves.  Spin-Aid effectively suppresses several broadleaf weeds common in beet fields.  Common lambsquarters and common chickweed are particularly sensitive.  Three low rate applications of Spin-Aid applied at approximately 2 wk intervals, beginning when the beets are in the cotyledon to 2-true leaf stage have proved to be very effective in research trials.  Under adverse weather conditions slight and usually transient injury has been observed.  Read and observe cautionary statements/restrictions found on the product label.
postemergence - hooded row middle application
carfentrazone (selected broadleaves)
Aim 1.9 EW 1.9 lb/gal	0.8-1.6 fl.oz	12		<1	May be used as a hooded, row middle application. Sprayers must be designed to prevent ANY contact with the crop and may not be operated at more than 5 mph. Special care must be taken when operating on uneven ground. See product label for additional precautions.
* = Restricted use only. # Not for use in Nassau/Suffolk counties Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

References

1 Abawi, G. S., D. C. Crosier, A. C. Cobb, and R. F. Becker. 1986. Root rot of table beets in New York State, New York's Food and Life Sciences Bulletin 115. 8 pp.

2 Abawi, G. S., and W. F. Mai. 1980. Effects of intial population densities of Heterodera schachtii on yield of cabbage and table beets in New York State. Ecology and Epidemiology 70: 481-485.

3 Mai, W. F., and G. S. Abawi. 1980. Influence of crop rotation on spread and density of Heterodera schachtii on a commercial vegetable farm in New York. Plant Disease 64: 302-305.

4 Hoffmann, M. P., and A. C. Frodsham. 1993. Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests. Cornell Cooperative Extension. 64 pp.

5 Pennsylvania State University. 1987. Weed identification, pp. 1-32. Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension, University Park.

6 Olaya, G. and G.S. Abawi. 1994. Characteristics of Rhizoctonia solani and binucleate Rhizoctonia species causing foliar blight and root rot on table beets in New York state. Plant Disease 78: 800-804.

7 Olaya, G. and G.S. Abawi. 1994. Influence of inoculum type and moisture on development of Rhizoctonia solani on foliage of table beets. Plant Disease 78: 805-810.

8 Olaya, G., G.S. Abawi, and J. Barnard. 1994. Response of Rhizoctonia solani and binucleate Rhizoctonia to five fungicides and control of pocket rot of table beets with foliar sprays. Plant Disease 78: 1033-1037.

World Wide Web Sites:

Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide:
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/weedindex.htm

IPM Vegetable Fact Sheets:
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/vegetables/default.asp

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America:
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu:80/ent/biocontrol/

Plant Disease Diagnosis Clinic:
http://PlantClinic.cornell.edu

Vegetable MD Online:
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Home.htm

Measuring Environmental Impact of Pesiticides: http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/eiq/default.asp

Cornell Vegetable Team
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/extension/commercial/vegetables/vegeteam/index.html

The Northeastern Pest Management Center has links to information on IPM in the northeast and throughout the US

Cornell Soil Health website and manual

USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Publications (SARE)

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA): http://www.attra.org/

Next chapter Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts

Maintained by Curtis Petzoldt, New York State IPM Program. Address comments or questions to vegrec@nysaes.cornell.edu
Last modified January 22, 2008.