Abstract
Despite the many agronomic benefits of conservation tillage, little is known regarding the effects of reduced tillage on the pest complex in sugar beet. We examined the effects of two types of tillage (strip till versus conventional) and different irrigation rates on yield as well as densities of insect pests, weeds, and a soil-borne plant pathogen in sugar beet. Yields were similar between tillage treatments for two of the three years, but were greater for conventional tillage during one year in which a wet spring may have slowed seedling development in strip-tilled plots. The low irrigation treatment exhibited lower yields in one of three years, regardless of tillage treatment. Eggs of beet leafminer flies were more abundant in conventional tillage on three of eight observation dates, but larval densities did not differ by tillage treatment. Bean aphid incidences generally were positively related to irrigation rate. Total weed counts within beet rows did not 80 Journal of Sugar Beet Research Vol. 56 Nos. 3 & 4 differ by tillage or irrigation, but between-row counts were greater for the high irrigation treatment during two years. Area under the disease progress curve for Rhizoctonia crown and root rot was higher in conventional tillage during one year. The results presented here show that strip-till sugar beet can be produced with yields comparable to conventional tillage without compromising pest management programs. Additional