Micronutrients through foliar application enhance growth, yield and quality of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Abstract

Micronutrient additives for sugar beet growth and development are very important, especially in the alkaline Egyptian soil. A two-year (2017 and 2018) field experiment was conducted in the Sakha Agricultural Research Station of Agricultural Research Center, Egypt, to study the effect of the foliar treatments with micronutrients including zinc (Zn) at rates of 50 and 100 mg L−1, boron (B) at rates of 50 and 100 mg L−1, and molybdenum (Mo) at rates of 20 and 40 mg L−1 on the morphological and physiological features as well as root characteristics of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Results showed that the Zn, B, and Mo foliar treatments at the two concentrations increased the growth parameters of roots, that is, root diameter, root length, root fresh weight, and root dry weight. Likewise, the foliar applications with Zn, B, and Mo at the two applied concentrations significantly increased nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) contents in the treated sugar beet leaves and roots. The high concentration of Zn (100 mg L−1) and Mo (40 mg L−1) yielded the highest of sucrose percentage, TSS percentage, purity percentage, sugar yield, root yield, and improved yield quality as well. The foliar treatments with Zn at a rate of 100 mg L−1 and Mo a rate of 40 mg L−1 showed a high capacity for enhancing growth and yield characteristics of sugar beet in the alkaline Egyptian soil probably due to balancing nutrients uptake and translocation.