On average, sugar beet yield in the UK is reduced by 10% due to water limitation. The root system of a plant is responsible for water uptake and hence an extensive root system is crucial to mitigate drought stress. There might be varietal differences when it comes to plant root system architecture but so far none have been reported in sugar beet. This study shows the results of 2 years of field experiments, examining the rooting patterns and overall plant growth of sugar beet under both rainfed and irrigated conditions. In the first year, three varieties were assessed, and in the second year, five varieties. No significant yield differences were found between the rainfed and irrigated treatments, which is likely due to the applied drought stress only being mild in both years. There were, however, significant varietal differences in plant growth and rooting patterns in rainfed plants which were most distinct when plants were subjected to mild drought stress. Varietal differences observed might indicate the possibility of breeding for certain root traits to mitigate drought stress in sugar beet in the future.

中文翻译：

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水分供应对甜菜品种根系生长的影响

由于水资源限制，英国的甜菜产量平均减少了 10%。植物的根系负责吸水，因此广泛的根系对于减轻干旱胁迫至关重要。在植物根系结构方面可能存在品种差异，但到目前为止还没有关于甜菜的报道。这项研究展示了 2 年田间试验的结果，检查了雨养和灌溉条件下甜菜的生根模式和整体植物生长情况。第一年评估了三个品种，第二年评估了五个品种。雨养和灌溉处理之间没有发现显着的产量差异，这可能是由于所施加的干旱胁迫在这两年中都只是温和的。然而，有 雨养植物中植物生长和生根模式的显着品种差异在植物受到轻度干旱胁迫时最为明显。观察到的品种差异可能表明育种某些根性状以减轻未来甜菜干旱胁迫的可能性。