EFFECT OF IRRIGATION REGIME AND FERTILIZATION ON SUGAR BEET

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted on a clay soil at the Experimental station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University at Kafr El-Sheikh to study the effect of irrigation regime, and NPK fertilization on growth, yield and quality as well as water relations of sugar beet cv. Pamela during 1997/98 and 1998/99 seasons.

The experimental design was split-split plot with four replications. The main plots were randomly assigned to irrigation regimes, the sub-plots to nitrogen rates and sub-sub plots ,to phosphorous and potassium fertilization as follows:

A. Irrigation regimes (main plot):

Three irrigation regimes were determined on basic depletion of available soil moisture (DAM) as follows : 1. Irrigation at 35% DAM.

2. Irrigation at 55o/o DAM

3. Irrigation at 75% DAM

B. Nitrogen rate (sub-plot):

I. 70 kg N feddan

2. 90 kg N feddan.

C. Phosphorus and potassium fertilization

1. Control (without PK).

2. 24 kg K20/feddan.

3. 31 kg P205/feddan.

4. 24 kg K20 + 31 P205/feddan.