Abstract
Field measurements of appearance and senescence of individual leaves of • sugar beet (Beta vulgarise L. cv. Amazon) were made at Lincoln, New Zealand, to establish how their growth was affected by planting methods (Seed-sown, cotyle-don, 2-leaf, 4-leaf). There were significant differences in the number of leaves. plant', produced by the planting methods. The thermal duration for the appearance of a leaf (early or late) was virtually unaffected by the treatments except for the appearance of each leaf after the first twenty leaves, when seed-sown beet had , significantly less thermal duration than the transplanted beet. Approximately, 33°C days were required between the appearance of each early leaf. None of the treatments affected the thermal duration for the death of each successive leaf. In all planting methods, only the early leaves (upto leaf 15) died.
