Sugarbeet Phyllosphere

Many factors impact sugar beet production and the resulting sugar content of the sugar beet. One of the most notorious constraints on sugar production is the foliar pathogen Cercospora beticola, causal agent of Cercospora leaf spot (CLS). Little is know about the community dynamics in the sugar beet phyllosphere in relation to both CLS symptom onset and variation between sugar beet cultivars. This study aims to establish a survey of sugar beet phyllosphere community profiles and compare changes in phyllosphere dynamics over time in relation to CLS symptomology on CLS resistant and CLS susceptible sugar beet cultivars.