Nitrogen cycling in soil cultivated with sugar beet

Abstract EN

Soil cultivated with sugar beet in Saudi Arabia, analysed mechanically and chemically.

Four varieties of sugar beet used in the first attempt of sugar beet cultivation in Saudi Arabia The four varieties of cultivated sugar beet are vision, universe, roberta and Sonja.

The characteristics of a sandy soil tested supported the best growth of sugar beet plant.

Results indicated that the soil samples have low cation exchange capacities.

Growth of sugar beet varieties recorded a sufficient level with the exception of Sonja variety in shoots measurements and vision variety in roots measurements.

The highest content of sucrose found in universe 'variety that was 18 %.Hydrolyzed urea to ammonium and oxidized ammonium in soil cultivated with sugar beet led to a marked increase in nitrate concentration, but trace amounts of nitrite have been detected.

However this increase in amounts of nitrate associated with activity of heterotrophic nitrifying fungi.

Seven isolates species belonging to three nitrifying fungal genera isolated from soil samples.

Penicillium was predominant and represented by three species followed by Aspergillus and Fusarium with two species each.