Effect of Sugar Beet Seed Treatments with Some Growth Regulators on Damping off Incidence Total ' Soluble Sugars and Yield

Seven seed borne fungi were isolated from sugar beet seeds viz. Alternaria alternata, Helminthosporium sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Epicoccum sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Phoma betae and Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. betae. The last three fungi were found internal, while the others were external on seed surface. The internal fungi caused root-rot disease to sugar beet plants. Tre11tment of seeds with each of gibr~rellic acid (GA3 ), indole acetic acid (IAA) and Q: .-naphthol ( 0: -N) as 50 and 100 ppm gave a pronounced reduction in root-rot infection. No significant effect had occurred against R. solani at 100 ppm seed treatment with IAA and 0: -N, and for Phoma betae in the post emergence damping off at 100 ppm of 0: -N. Growth regulators at 50 ppm used as seed treatment caused an increase in the average of yield in the two growing seasons of sugar beet plants. Similar findings were recorded for total soluble sugars (TSS) with IAA and GA3 treatments. At 100 ppm seed treatments, no effect was recorded on both yield and TSS of growing plants, except for IAA which caused an increase in the average of yield.