Varietal response by sugar beet to nitrogen, sodium and potassium fertilizers

Abstract

SUMMARYThree preliminary experiments at Cambridge (1904–70) indicated that several varieties and breeding lines of sugar beet differed in their response to fertilizers. Three factorial experiments were therefore made at Broom's Barn (1970–2) to measure response by four widely differing varieties of sugar beet (Sharpe's Klein ‘E’, Maris Vanguard, V.T.137 and Anglo-Maribo Poly) to nitrogen (0, 75 and 150kgN/ha), sodium (0 and 250 kg N/ha) and potassium (0 and 400 kg K/ha) fertilizers. Increases in sugar yield from 75 kg N/ha by each of the varieties were remarkably similar and giving a further 75 kg N/ha neither increased nor decreased the yield of any variety on average over the three experiments. The yield response to sodium and potassium was greatest in Sharpe's Klein ‘E’ and least in V.T.137; however, as with nitrogen, varieties responded inconsistently from year to year and the interactions were not statistically significant for data pooled over the three experiments. These experiments indicate that varietal differences in fertilizer requirement are unlikely to be important in commercial practice.