IMPORTANCE OF NITROGEN AND MICROELEMENTS FOR SUGAR BEET PRODUCTION IN SANDY SOILS

Two field experiments were carried out in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons at Al-Hossein Agricultural Society Farm at 64 km, Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, Giza Governorate, Egypt (latitude of 31.14⁰ N and longitude of 31.39⁰ E) to find out the effect of nitrogen and some microelements fertilization on yield and quality of sugar beet variety (Pleno) in a sandy soil. The present work included twelve treatments, which were the combinations of three N levels (70, 90 and 110 kg N/fed) and four levels of microelements (control, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 l/fed) of Cetreen including chelated  Fe, Zn and Mn. A strip plots design with three replications was used in this work. Results indicated that applying 110 kg N/fed resulted in the highest values of fresh and dry root and top yields/fed, in the 2^nd season. There were insignificant differences among N levels in their effect on fresh root yield/fed in the 1^st season. Moreover, results showed that adding 70 kg N/fed produced the maximum sucrose%, extractable white sugar%, purity% in both seasons. Sugar yield/fed was significantly increased by increasing nitrogen level up to 90 kg N/fed in both seasons. Foliar applications with 2 and/or 2.5 l Cetreen/fed significantly increased root, top and recoverable sugar yield/fed and improved sucrose% and purity% in both seasons.
In general, it can be concluded that applying 90 kg N/fed with the addition of 2.0 l Citreen/fed can be recommended to produce the highest yield and quality of sugar beet under the environmental conditions of sandy soils.