Response of Sugar Beet to Micronutrients Foliar Spray under Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Doses

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

THE PRESENT investigation was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, ARC, atKafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt during 2012/2013and 2013/2014 seasons. Two field experiments were conducted to study the effect of different foliar spraying treatments, i.e., spraying with distilled water, spraying with micronutrients mixture once after 60 days from sowing and twice after, 60 and 75 days from sowing and four nitrogen rates, i.e., 60, 75, 90 and 105 kg N/fad ( as soil application ) on yield, yield components and quality of sugar beet as well as to minimizing costs of mineral fertilization and environmental pollution. The experimental design was split plot design with three replications. The main results of this investigation clear that nitrogen fertilizer up to 105 kg N/fad and foliar twice with micronutrients mixture significantly increased root length and diameter, dry matter accumulation/plant, top and root yield/fad as well as sugar yield/fad in both seasons. The inverse was true in TSS, sucrose and juice purity percentages. Whereas, raising soil application of nitrogen from 60 to 105 kg N/fad and foliar spraying with micronutrients mixture caused a marked decrease in the previously mentioned traits.
Generally, it can be concluded that soil application of nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 105 kg N/fad and foliar spraying sugar beet plants twicely with micronutrients mixture could be recommended for optimum root and sugar yield per unit area.

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