Sensitivity of 24 sugar beet cultivars to water deficit during emergence

sive days. At the end of that period, the seedlings were counted, and the ratio of surviving seedlings to the number of seedlings before the first water deficit was calculated again. Under controlled conditions, high emergence capacity (14 days after sowing) was noted in cv. Janosik, Julietta, and Silvetta, whereas very high final emergence capacity (21 days after sowing) was observed in cv. Agent and Julietta. Sugar beet cv. Huzar, Lukas, and Expert were the least sensitive to soil moisture deficit and they can, therefore, be recommended for cultivation in areas prone to water deficit at the beginning of the growth season. Among the conventional cultivars of sugar beet, there are also cultivars with a low susceptibility to drought that increasingly more often causes problems in regions of intensive production of root crops. K e y w o r d s: Beta vulgaris, emergence capacity, seedling survival, simulated drought P. SKONIECZEK et al. 410