Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-03T10:25:58.993Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Storage root quality in sugarbeet in relation to nitrogen uptake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

T. O. Pocock
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Arable Crops Research, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ, UK
G. F. J. Milford
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Arable Crops Research, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ, UK
M. J. Armstrong
Affiliation:
British Sugar pic, Holmewood Hall Field Station, Holme, Peterborough PE7 3PG, UK

Summary

The relationships between the amounts of nitrogen fertilizer applied and taken up by sugarbeet crops and the concentrations of sugar and α-amino-N in the storage root were examined using data obtained from fertilizer-response trials on different soils in the UK and Belgium between 1974 and 1985. On unmanured mineral soils, crop uptakes of N without fertilizer ranged from 65 to 190 kg/ha and increased linearly with the amount of fertilizer N applied. On organic soils or mineral soils that had received large applications of organic manure, crop uptakes of N were very large (295–383 kg/ha) and were not increased by applications of fertilizer N.

The amino-N contents of harvested beet increased with crop N uptake. The distributions of crop N to the storage root and of storage-root N to amino-N differed, especially in manured, diseased and drought-affected crops. Greater proportions of crop N were present in the storage roots of manured crops than in conventionally fertilized crops, and more of the storage-root N was present as amino-N in crops affected by virus yellows or drought than in healthy, unstressed crops.

The fresh weight concentrations of sugar in the storage root also differed between sites and years but were not consistently reduced by applications of fertilizer N at individual sites. However, when compared across sites, concentrations were negatively correlated with crop N uptakes and the amounts of N in storage roots. This was because particular crops grown on mineral soils with large applications of manure or on organic soils had large N uptakes and exceptionally low concentrations of sugar.

The physiological implications of these relationships between N uptake and amino-N and sugar accumulation are discussed.

Type
Crops and Soils
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Armstrong, M. J. & Milford, G. F. J. (1985). The nitrogen nutrition of sugar beet – the background to the requirement for sugar yield and amino-N accumulation. British Sugar Beet Review 53 (4), 4244.Google Scholar
Armstrong, M. J., Squire, A. & Milford, G. F. J. (1986). The nitrogen nutrition of sugar beet – an approach to better forecasting of nitrogen fertilizer requirement. British Sugar Beet Review 54 (1), 8487.Google Scholar
Bloom, T. M., Sylvester-Bradley, R., Vaidynathan, L. V. & Murray, A. W. A. (1988). Apparent recovery of fertilizer nitrogen by winter wheat. In Nitrogen Efficiency in Agricultural Soils(Eds Jenkinson, D. S. & Smith, K. A.), pp 2737. Amsterdam: ElsevierGoogle Scholar
Burba, M., Nitzschke, U. & Ritterbusch, R. (1984). Die N-Assimilation der Pflanze unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Zuckerrübe (Beta vulgaris L.). Zuckerindustrie 109, 613627.Google Scholar
Carruthers, A. & Oldfield, J. F. T. (1961). Methods for the assessment of beet quality. International Sugar Journal 63, 7274.Google Scholar
Carter, J. N. & Traveller, D. J. (1981). Effect of time and amount of nitrogen uptake on sugarbeet growth and yield. Agronomy Journal 73, 665671.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, J. N., Westermann, D. T. & Jensen, M. E. (1976). Sugarbeet yield and quality as affected by nitrogen level. Agronomy Journal 68, 4955.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Church, B., Armstrong, M. J. & Turner, R. (1986). Fertilizer use – experiments and surveys. British Sugar Beet Review 54 (1), 7577.Google Scholar
Devillers, P.. (1983). R⊙le des composés azotés dans la fabrication industrielle du sucre de betteraves. In Symposium: Nitrogen and Sugar Beet, pp. 111Brussels: International Institute for Sugar-Beet Research.Google Scholar
Doney, D. L., Wyse, R. E. & Theurer, J. C. (1981). The relationship between cell size, yield and sucrose concentration of the sugar-heet root. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 61, 447453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Draycott, A. P., Durrant, M. J. & Last, P. J. (1971). Effects of cultural practices and fertilizers on sugar beet quality. Journal of International Institute of Sugarbeet Research 5, 169185.Google Scholar
Draycott, A. P. & Messem, A. B. (1978). The need for irrigation: some new views on the evidence. British Sugar Beet Review 46 (2), 57.Google Scholar
Draycott, A. P., Webb, D. J. & Wright, E. M. (1973). The effect of time of sowing and harvesting on growth, yield and nitrogen fertilizer requirement of sugar beet. I. Yield and nitrogen uptake at harvest. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 81, 267275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutton, J. V. & Bowler, G. (1984). Money is still being wasted on nitrogen fertilizer. British Sugar Beet Review 52 (4), 7477.Google Scholar
Dutton, J. V. & Turner, F. (1983). Correcting excessive use of nitrogen – beet amino-N measurements. British Sugar Beet Review 51 (2), 1217.Google Scholar
Kubadinow, N. & Hampel, W. (1975). Le comportement des acides amines libres au cours de la séparation des jus. Sucre Beige 94, 304404.Google Scholar
Last, P. J., Draycott, A. P., Messem, A. B. & Webb, D. J. (1983). Effects of nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation on sugar beet at Broom's Barn 1973–8. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 101, 185205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marcussen, C. (1985). Amino-N figures – as used in Denmark. British Sugar Beet Review 53 (4), 4648.Google Scholar
Miflin, B. J., Wallsgrove, R. M. & Lea, P. J. (1981). Glutamine metabolism in higher plants. Current Topics in Cellular Regulation 20, 143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milford, G. F. J. (1973). The growth and development of the storage root of sugar beet. Annals of Applied Biology 75, 427438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milford, G. F. J., Travis, K. Z., Pocock, T. O., Jaggard, K. W. & Day, W. (1988). Growth and dry matter partitioning in sugar beet. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 110, 301308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oldfield, J. F. T.Shore, M.. Dutton, J V.. Houghton, B. J. & Teague, H. J. (1977).Sugar beet quality – factors of importance to the U.K. industry. International Sugar Journal 79, 3743.Google Scholar
Palmer, M. & Casburn, C. (1985). Amino nitrogen analyses – factory experiences. British Sugar Beet Review 53 (1), 7376.Google Scholar
Shore, M.. Dutton, J. V., Houghton, B. J. & Bowler, G. (1982). How much is that extra nitrogen fertilizer costing you? British Sugar Beet Review 50 (3), 5455.Google Scholar
Van Der Beek, M. A. & Huijbregts, A. W. M. (1986). Internal quality aspects of sugar beet. Fertilizer Society of London Proceedings 252.Google Scholar
Vlassak, K., Jeurissen, C. & Vanstallen, R. (1983). Effets du prélèvement d'azote par la plante sur la croissance et le rendement de la betterave sucrière. Annual Report, Instilut Royal Beige pour l' Amélioration de la Betterave for 1983, pp. 115127.Google Scholar
Watson, D. J., Motomatsu, T., Loach, K. & Milford, G. F. J. (1972). Effects of shading and seasonal differences in weather on the growth, sugar content and sugar yield of sugar-beet crops. Annals of Applied Biology 71, 159185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wyse, R. E. (1979). Parameters controlling sucrose content and yield of sugar beet. Journal of the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists 20, 268385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar