Response of some sugar beet varieties grown under different saline soils and plant populations

Abstract EN

Two field experiments were conducted in Senouris; Tamya Res.

Station, Fayoum Governorate, Egypt (latitude of 30.82 o N and longitude of 29.40o E) during the two successive seasons of 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, to evaluate the performance of three sugar beet varieties (Alauda, Nefirtitis and Carnuta), sown using three spaces between hills (15, 20 and 25 cm) under conditions of loamy (saline soil) and silt-clay soils, in two separate field experiments on yield and quality.

Under each soil condition; the experimental design was a split-plot with three replications.

Collected data were analyzed combined over the two locations in each season.

Hill spaces were allocated in the main plots, whereas, varieties were randomly distributed in the sub–plots.

Results showed a positive statistical response in root length and diameter, as well as, root fresh weight/plant, root and sugar yields/fad, when sugar beet plants were sown under silt-clay soil, compared to saline soil (loamy texture) conditions.

Meanwhile, the highest K and Na contents and sucrose% were obtained under saline soil conditions, in both seasons.

Root dimensions, root fresh weight/plant, root and sugar yields/fad positively and continuously responded to increasing hill spaces up to 25 cm.

However, the insignificant differences among sowing hills were found in K, Na and alpha-amino N contents, sucrose% and purity% , in both seasons.

The examined varieties differed significantly in root diameter and root fresh weight/plant, in both seasons, as well as, root length only in the 1st season, and root yield/fad in the 2nd one.

The heaviest roots were obtained from Carnuta variety and superiority over the other tested varieties.

The significant differences among sugar beet varieties in sugar yield/fad were showed only in the 2nd season, meantime, the differences among varieties were insignificant in K, Na, alpha-amino N contents, sucrose% and purity% , in both seasons.

The highest sugar yield/fad was obtained from Carnuta variety, followed by Alauda, while the least sugar yield/fad resulted from Nefirtitis variety, in the 2nd season.

The interaction between soil types and hill spaces showed significant effects on root diameter in both seasons and sugar yield/fad only in the 2nd season.

Carnuta variety recorded the highest.

Significant values of root length under silt-clay soil conditions, in the 1st season.

The significant interaction between hill spaces and varieties was reflected in purity% in the 2nd season.

Alauda achieved the highest purity% at 15 and 25 cm between hills, meantime, Nefirtitis gave the best purity% at 20cm between hills.

The 2nd order interaction, among the three factors under study had a significant influence on sucrose% only in the 2nd season.

The highest sucrose% was attained from the interaction between varieties and distances between hills under saline soil (loamy texture) than silt-clay soil conditions.

Based upon the obtained results, it was found that sowing Carnuta variety at 25cm between hills might be recommended to achieved the highest root and sugar yields/fad under silt-clay and/or saline soil (loamy texture) conditions.