EFFECT OF AGRO-PROCESSING CONDITIONS ON TECHNOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND YIELD OF SUGAR BEET UNDER EL-MINIA GOVERNORATE ENVIRONMENT

This study was undertaken in the middle Egypt, Mallawi Agricultural Research Station (EI-Minia Governorate) during 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons, to study the effect of processing conditions i. e., irrigation ceasing time, stored period and stored conditions on technochemical parameters and yields of sugar beet after harvest and perior to processing. Combined analysis over both seasons revealed. Prolonging the period between last irrigation and harvest (ceasing time) from 10 days to 20 and 30 days gradually increased most technochemical parameters and sugar yield (t/f). However, root yield and juice impurities (except potassium) had a vice versa trend. Losses of beet productivity traits (root and sugar yield) and technochemical parameters (quality, technological and impurities) were increased gradually as time elapsed between harvest and processing. At the meantime, the rate of deterioration in all studied traits was increased in stored roots under open air conditions as compared with those covered by tops. Under, El-Minia Governorate, the environments of high temperature prevail during beet harvest and processing affect negatively beet root quality, it is recommended delay harvest after the last irrigation for 30 days in order to enhance apparently root quality and technological criteria and hence sugar yield per unit area. Furthermore, results obtained revealed that beet must be processed as soon as possible after harvest and/ or could be delayed for two days if stored beet covered by tops to avoid the deterioration In both productivity and quality, to overcome processing difficulties. Delaying to harvest for 30 days from the last irrigation decreased obviously stored beet deterioration.