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Effects of plant density, irrigation and potassium and sodium fertilizers on sugar beet: II. Influence of soil moisture and weather

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. P. Draycott ,
M. J. Durrant  and
A. B. Messem
A. P. Draycott
Affiliation:
Broom's Barn Experimental Station, Higham, Bury St Edmunds
M. J. Durrant
Affiliation:
Broom's Barn Experimental Station, Higham, Bury St Edmunds
A. B. Messem
Affiliation:
Broom's Barn Experimental Station, Higham, Bury St Edmunds
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Summary

The amount of soil moisture used by sugar beet was determined weekly between May and October (1970–2) in plots testing 18500 and 124000 plants/ha with and without irrigation. When leaves covered more than 60% of the ground (after mid-June with the large density and after mid-July with the small density) the crop used water at the potential transpiration rate even with soil moisture deficits on plots without irrigation of up to 170 mm. Therefore as irrigation greatly increased sugar yield in 1970 and 1972, it probably did not do so simply by satisfying the crop's water need.

In 1970 irrigation appeared to act partly by decreasing the time taken to attain complete leaf cover but in 1972 irrigation had only a slight effect on leaf cover but greatly increased sugar yield, particularly of the large population. With little rainfall, the large density rapidly exhausted the available moisture from the plough layer. It seems likely therefore that irrigation increased yield by giving more leaf cover early and by improving nutrient supply but not by supplying extra water for transpiration.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 82 , Issue 2 , April 1974 , pp. 261 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

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References

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