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Effects of nitrogen fertilizer, plant population and irrigation on sugar beet: I. Yields

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. P. Draycott
Affiliation:
Broom's Barn Experimental Station, Higham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
D. J. Webb
Affiliation:
Broom's Barn Experimental Station, Higham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Summary

Five experiments (1965–9) on calcareous sandy loam tested all combinations of four amounts of nitrogen (0–1·8 cwt/acre N) and four plant populations (8000–54 000 plants/ acre) given to sugar beet grown with and without irrigation. On average, nitrogen and plant population influenced yields greatly but irrigation relatively little. In all years between 0·6 and 1·2 cwt/acre N and between 17000 and 32000 plants/acre gave largest sugar yield. Giving more nitrogen or increasing the plant population neither increased nor decreased sugar yield much in any year. Irrigation was beneficial in only two out of five years.

Sugar yield was linearly related to root dry-matter yield. Although total dry matter was greatest when the largest plant population was given the largest dressing of nitrogen and irrigation, the proportion of dry matter in the roots was decreased by all three factors.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

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