Effect of humic acid and irrigation water quality on fodder beet yield and its components as well as some soil chemical properties

Abstract EN

To study the interaction effects of humic acid rates (HA) × irrigation water quality on productivity of fodder beet yield (Beta vulgaris L.) and its quality as well as some soil chemical properties, two field experiments were conducted in a split plot design with three replications in two different locations, El-Salam canal and Bahr Hadous drain in Sahl El-Hossinia, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt during to winter seasons (2014/2015 and 2015/2016).

The studied factors were four rates of humic acid (0, 800 , 1600 and 2400 ml HA for 400 l-1 of irrigation water i.e., 0,2, 4 and 6 ml HA l-1, respectively) and two types of irrigation water (El-Salam canal water 1.75 dSm-1 and Bahr Hadous drain water 3.31 dSm-1).

The results indicated that using each of irrigation water and humic acid rate gave the best values of all the studied characters in El-Salam canal region compared to that obtained from Bahr Hadous drain region.

Concerning the interaction effect (El-Salam canal irrigation water × HA 6 ml l-1 rate) recorded the maximum values for all studied characters: growth attributes (root length, root diameter, fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), fresh yield (FY), dry yield (DY), total fresh yield (TFY) and Total dry yield (TDY) and total chlorophyll), yield quality crude protein (CP), digestible crude protein (DCP), CF, ash, fat (%) in different organs and proline in top organs of fodder beet plants) and chemical composition (N, P, K, Fe, Mn and Zn concentrations and uptake) of fodder beet yield as well as some soil chemical properties (pH, EC, CEC, macro and micronutrients contents)