Publisher: International Potash Institute, P.O.

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Subject 7 No. 2/1993

Root and tuber crops
6th suite
40
Effect of nitrogen and potassium fertilization on
the yield, sucrose percentage and juice purity of
sugar beet
Pardo, M.T. and Guadalix, M.E., Center of Environmental Sciences,
CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Summary
The effects of N and K fertilizers on root yield, sugar content and juice
purity were tested in separate experiments in the period 1987-1990 sited on
soils typical of the Duero Valley, and important beet growing area. Nitrogen
increased root and sugar yield but increased a-amino N content, reducing
extractibility except in 1987. Potassium increased root and sugar yields and
decreased a-amino N content but did not affect extractibility.

Introduction
As elsewhere, quality in sugar beet, which determines the price received
by the farmer, has recently become more important in Spain where the crop
covers 200'000 ha. Fertilization has important effects on internal quality and
this is especially true for N and K. Nitrogen greatly influences root quality
and sugar (sucrose) production of sugar beet. Sugar beet grown with
insufficient N generally has a high sugar percentage and is low in impurities,
but root and sugar production are limited. Too much N increases root
impurities and reduces sugar percentage and thus, the yield of refined sugar
(Jackson and Ulrich, 197 1; Gilbert et al., 1981).
 Potassium plays a fundamental role in sucrose synthesis and storage, and
sugar beet has a high K requirement. K fertilizer increases root mass, sugar
content and extractability. It also affects Na and ax-amino N contents
(Draycott and Cooke, 1966; Kbchl, 1977; Beringer et at., 1986; Carter,
1986; Herlihy, 1989).
It is important that fertilizers for sugar beet should be correctly balanced
and much work in different countries has investigated the effects of N and K
on yield and quality (Draycott and Durrant, 1976; Miltcheva, 1977; Carter
and Traveller, 1981; Adams et al., 1983; Anderson and Peterson, 1988;
Mirldnder, 1990; Winter, 1990).
Results of several field experiments in the Duero Valley (Spain), testing
the effect of N and K fertilization on sugar beet are discussed.

Material and methods

In each of the years 1987 to 1990 an experiment testing N fertilizer and
another testing K fertilizer were conducted in the Duero Valley (Central
Spain). Salient soil properties of the sites are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Characteristics of experimental sites.

Available
Year Texture pH C N CaCO3 C/N P2 0 5 K20 Ca Mg
% % % % (mg IOg - 1)
N experiments
1987 Loam 7.8 0.45 0.065 2.4 6.9 19 34 60 36
1988 Sand 6.9 0.29 0.025 - 11.6 6 8 70 7
1989 Sand 7.2 0.35 0.037 - 9.4 10 12 90 9
1990 Silty clay 7.6 1.48 0.160 46.7 9.2 7 32 700 50
loam
K experiments
1987 Loam 7.8 0.45 0,065 2.4 6.9 19 34 60 36
1988 Sand 7.1 0.24 0.032 - 7.5 7 6 100 II
1989 Loamy 6.3 0.27 0.030 9.0 4 9 150 25
sand
1990 Sandy 7.1 0.22 0.025 8.8 5 10 50 7
loam

The design in both cases was a randomized block with plots measuring 9
x 11 m. Beet (cv. Tribel) was sown in late March and thinned to a stand of
80'000 per ha. Irrigation was by furrow for the first 4 applications and by

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 7/6
sprinkler thereafter, the amount of water being based on estimated soil
moisture deficit.
Nitroeen treatments 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 kg ha-I N as NH 4NO 3 in the
seedbed plus a uniform dressing of 40 kg ha- 1 after thinning. P as triple
superphosphate and K as K2 SO4 were applied uniformly at rates based on
soil analysis.
Potassium treatments : 0, 75, 150, 300 kg ha-1 K20 as K2 SO4 applied in
one dressing before seedbed preparation. N and P were applied uniformly at
adequate rates.

After recording root yields at harvest (late October) samples of washed

roots were frozen for analysis - sucrose (polarisation) by cold digestion
(Dewhalley, 1964); Na and K by flame photometer; a-amino N by ninhydrin
(Lawrence and Grant, 1963).

Results and discussion

The effects of N fertilizer application on some yield and quality
characteristics of sugar beet are given in Figure Ia. N fertilizer generally
increased root yield, the magnitude of response varying between years. The
response was linear in 1987 and 1989, curvilinear in 1988 when 100 kg ha- 1
N was adequate for maximum yield on a sandy soil low in N. In 1990 yield
was much the same at 70, 100 and 130 kg ha- 1 N with an increase at 160 kg
ha- 1 on a soil high in total N. Over the 4 years response to N ranged from
17% in 1989 to 23% in 1987.
Sugar yield followed a similar pattern except in 1990 when increasing N
resulted in a steady decrease in sugar yield. This soil was already high in N
and beet did not respond profitably to N fertilizer. Similar behaviour is
0 reported by others (Anderson and Peterson, 1988; Mlirlinder, 1990). In this
connection, it has been pointed out that excessive N fertilizer may stimulate
top growth at the expenses of sugar yield, photosynthate being used
vegetatively instead of being stored as sugar (Carter and Traveller, 1981).
N adversely affected sugar concentration except in the first year when
there was a small increase.
The most marked effect on quality was that on a-amino N content of
roots. Except in 1987, when there was no effect and when there was a small
increase in sugar concentration, a-amino N increased significantly with
increase in N fertilizer.
N had no effect on K content of juice and increased Na uptake (Table 2)
(significantly only in 1988).

3
 a)N-response
Root yield % Sugar Sugar yield Amino - N

8 Fertilizer-N (kg.ha- 1 )

C
& b)K-response
. Root yield % Sugar Sugar yield Amino - N
C

Fertilizer-N (kg.ha-1)
1 1987 01ine Q198, iN90

Fig. 1 (a-b). %response over control (no fertilizer) to N and K in root and sugar yield, sugar %and a-amino-N content.
 7/6

Table 2. Changes in Na and K content of sugar beet associated with N

fertilization (cmolc 100 g-I).
N input 1987 1988 1989 1990
kg ha-1 Na K Na K Na K Na K
0 0.60 3.60 0.80 4.80 0.61 4.46 1.20 4.90
70 0.67 3.22 1.40 5.42 0.53 4.50 1.41 5.32
100 0.67 3.02 1.53 5.20 0.72 4.78 1.52 5.50
130 0.75 3.32 1.50 4.50 0.88 4.66 1.26 5.18
160 0.65 3.60 2.00 5.12 0.82 4.71 1.60 5.62
LSD (0.1) 0.22 0.59 0.58 1.38 0.31 0.51 0.28 0.57
LSD (0.05) 0.26 0.72 0.72 1.68 0.38 0.61 0.34 0.69

As seen in Figure lb, K positively affected both root and sugar yields,
the size of response depending on soil K content. In 1987 (high K soil),
maximum yield was registered at 150 kg ha-1 K20 and yield at 300 kg ha- 1
was clearly depressed. In 1989, there was a strong response to 300 kg ha-1
K20 over 150 kg ha-1 showing that the optimum K rate had not been
reached. In 1988 and 1990, results suggested the optimum rate to be 150 kg
ha-1.
Several workers have reported a positive effect of K on sugar
concentration (Draycott and Cooke, 1966; Miltcheva, 1977; Lou6, 1985;
Herlihy, 1989), but there was no clear trend in our experiments (Figure lb).
K decreased the a-amino N content which adversely affects sugar
extractability (Figure lb) at rates of 150 and 300 kg ha-1 K20.
Every year, increasing K supply increased K content of the root while Na
content was slightly reduced (Table 3).
K together with Na and a-amino N, has a deleterious effect on juice
purity. However, K also depresses the a-amino N (Figure lb) and the two
effects seems to counteract each other. Our results agree with those reported
by Lou6 (1985) and Herlihy (1989). These authors have also noted that K
fertilization did not affect juice purity, which determines the level of
extractable sugar.

5
Table 3. Changes in Na and K content of sugar beet associated with K
fertilization (cmolc 100 g-1).
K input 1987 1988 1989 1990
kg ha- Na K Na K Na K Na K
0 0.82 2.87 1.11 3.22 1.13 2.90 0.62 4.04
75 1.02 3.02 1.05 3.81 1.02 3.38 0.60 4.04
150 0.80 3.47 1.13 3.98 1.00 3.32 0.52 4.66
300 0.77 3.17 0.93 4.13 0.87 3.78 0.55 4.78
LSD (0.1) 0.25 0.79 0.34 0.72 0.23 0.26 0.24 0.68 0
LSD (0.05) 0.31 0.97 0.41 0.88 0.27 0.31 0.29 0.82

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