- Address : P.O. Box 11, Gannoruwa rd, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- E- Mail : director.hordi@doa.gov.lk
- Telephone :(+94) 081-2388011-12-13
- Fax :(+94) 081-2388234
Beet
Beta vulgaris
Beet is belong to Chenopodiaceae family. It can be grown well in all the -ecological zones
Released Varieties
Climatic requirements/ Areas suitable for cultivation
Beet are grown well in cool temperature of up country area. It can be grown well in all the agro-ecological zones.
Soil
It requires well drain soil with adequate amount of organic matter. Optimum soil pH range is 6.3- 7.3
Seed requirement
5-6 kg seeds /ha
Nursery Management
Add well decomposed organic manure to the raised beds. It is important to sterilization of the soil using fungicide, solar or burning paddy straws. Seeds are established in 10 cm apart rows.
Land preparation
Plough the land up to depth 30 cm and prepare the raise bed with 1 m width and 20 cm height
Planting
Seedlings are transplanted after 4-6 weeks.
Spacing
30 x 10 cm
Fertilizer
Organic manure requirement is 10 t/ha.
| Time of application | Urea kg/ha | TSP kg/ha | MOP kg/ha |
| Basal fertilizer | 165 | 270 | 125 |
| Top dressing (3 weeks after planting) | 165 | – | 125 |
Water supply
Light, frequent irrigation is required especially at root elongation stage. Normally irrigate 3-4 day interval.
Weed Control
Manually control the weeds 2 weeks after transplants. Remove the weed before apply top dressing. Weeds are control with the intercultural operations as well.
Pest Management
Become serious pest during the dry period
Damage symptoms
Adult punchers leave for both feeding and oviposition. This may cause a spotted appearance on foliage. Larvae make irregular mine and result drying and withering of leaves. Damage plants succumb to secondary infections.
Management
- Regular field inspection
- Yellow colour sticky trap
- Covering crops with suitable material prevent mitigating flies
- Removal of other host plants surrounds the crop field
- Removal and distraction of infected plant material
- Augment ecto-parasitoid Diglyphus isaea
- Encourage naturally found parasitoids Hemiptarsenus semibiclavas and Opius spp
Chemical control
- Azadiractin 1% EC at the rate of 16ml/16 l of water
- Abamectin 18g/l EC at the rate of 9.6 ml/16 l of water
- Neem seed water extract at the rate of 640g/16 l of water
Damage symptoms
Habitually they are nocturnal. Early instars make round holes in leaves. Later, the shoots are damaged close to the ground, often cut the whole plant at the base. Cut several plants in a single night and pulling the plant stem belowground. Cut plants show wilting during day time. Formed unsightly holes in the tubers
Management
- Regular monitoring
- Hand collecting and destroying
- Weed management
- Proper field sanitation
- Plough the soil deeply to bring the larvae and pupa to the surface of the soil
- Encourage predatory birds to preying the worms during tillage operation
Chemical control
- Profenophos 500 g/l EC at the rate of 32 ml per 16 l of water
- Etofenprox 100g/l EC at the rate of 24 ml per 16 l of water
Disease Management
- Use of disease free seeds
- Use sprinklers for watering
- Crop rotation
- Field sanitation
- Weed control
- Planting in proper spacing
- Hot water treatment for seeds
- Recommended fungicides – Mancozeb, Maneb, Carbendazim, Chlorothalonil
Harvesting
Crop cab be harvest 75- 90 days after transplanting.
Yield
12-20 t/ha