Effect of Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertiziation on Sugar Beet Yield, Quality and Some Water Relations in Heavy Clay Soils

Abstract

Two field experiments during the winter seasons 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 were conducted at the North Nile Delta region Sakha Agricultural Research Station Farm(31¯ 07° N Latitude, 30¯ 57° E longitude) to investigate the water behavior of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) crop under different rates and doses of nitrogen fertilization on yield, some yield attributes, quality and some water relations. A split-split plot design with four replicates was used in the present study, where the main plots were randomly assigned by irrigation treatments which were irrigation at 55, 70 and 85% depletion of available soil moisture (I 1 ,I 2 and I 3 , respectively). While, sub-main plots were also randomly assigned by nitrogen rates which were N 1 , N 2 and N 3 (application of 30, 60 and 90 kg N/fed., respectively). Also, sub-sub main plots were randomly assigned by nitrogen doses which were as one, . Data showed water storage and water application efficiency were slightly affected by both nitrogen rates and doses. Sugar beet root yield, top yield and root diameter were highly significant affected by irrigation treatments, nitrogen rates and doses in the two growing seasons. Where, the mean values for the abovementioned studied parameters were increased with increasing water applied, nitrogen rates and doses. Although root length increased with decreasing amount of irrigation water applied. Sugar yield, purity, nitrogen concentration in tops and roots increased with increasing irrigation water, nitrogen rates and doses. On the other hand, sucrose percentage increased with decreasing irrigation water and nitrogen rates but increased with nitrogen doses.