BeetCercoFACE2

This is the second year of BeetCercoFACE which we started in 2023. We evaluate the effect of atmospheric CO2-elevation on sugar beet yield formation in interaction with an infestation by Cercospora Leaf Spot (CLS). Two sugar beet genotypes (susceptible, very slightly susceptible to CLS) are grown under elevated CO2-concentration (600 ppm) and under ambient CO2-concentration in a free air experiment at Campus Klein Altendorf. One part of the fields will be inoculated by the ascomycetous fungus Cercospora beticola, the other part will be treated with fungicide to prevent CLS.

We expect to identify differences in above and below-ground biomass development and carbohydrate assimilation and partitioning. Further, we hypothesize that the disease infestation and dynamic will be changed by

Results will provide information on the effect of climate change on sugar beet yield formation, the damaging potential of leaf diseases, such as CLS, and genotype-specific reactions to changing environmental conditions. Results will be of high importance for yield forecasting, risk management in plant protection, and for breeding strategies.

This project is funded by the BMBF in the initiative "DPPN-ACCESS 2.0: Förderung der Nutzung von Anlagen und Technologien zur Pflanzenphänotypisierung"