Response of Some Sugar Beet Varieties to Abscisic Acid Under Different Storage Periods

Abstract

To investigate the effect of Abscisic acid (ABA) and storage period on yield and quality of the three sugar beet varieties, in this respect two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Farm of Agricultural Station in Sabahia, Alexandria, Egypt during 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons. A split-split plot design in three replications was used in both seasons, where the main plots were allocated by the three sugar beet varieties i.e. (Classic, Farida and Gloriosa), meanwhile, the sub plot was occupied by the four rates of Abscisic acid (ABA) (contra =water, 1000, 2000 and 3000 ppm) as foliar application one time before harvesting date, while storage periods (2, 4, 6, and 8 days after harvest) were occupied the sub-sub plots in both seasons. The obtained results revealed that there was a significant difference between the three sugar beet varieties to its response to the four concentration of Abscisic acid (ABA) under the three storage periods in yield, its components and quality, whereas the Classic variety recorded the highest mean values of these traits followed by Farida variety while the lowest ones recorded with Gloriosa variety in both seasons. Increasing ABA concentration up to 3000 ppm increased TSS (%), sucrose (%) and purity (%) in sugar beetroots, which recorded the highest mean values of these traits followed by 2000 ppm, while the lowest ones recorded with control treatments (water spray), storage period at 2 days after harvest, on the other side, storage period at 4 or 6 days were had in a significant difference in the two seasons. In general, sowing Classic variety gave the highest values of the studied characters with 2000 ppm ABA under storage period 2 -6 days after harvest in Alexandria conditions, Egypt.