EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM FERTILIZATION ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SUGAR BEET IN SOHAG

Two field trials were carried out at Shandaweel Rescarch Station (Sohag Governorate) in the two successive growing seasons of 1997/ 1998 and 1998/1999 to study the effect of nine treatments represent­ing the combinations between three nitrogen levels (0,46 and 92 kg N/ fed) and three potassium levels (0,24 and 48 kg K20/fed) on yield and quality of sugar beet variety Del. 939. A complete randomized block de­sign in four replications was used. The obtained results showed that in­creasing N-level up to 92 kg N/fed increased root fresh weight/plant. root and sugar yield significantly while sucrose percentage decreased. In­creasing K-level from zero to 48 kg K20/fed positively increased root fresh weight/plant, sugar yield and sucrose percentage. Root yield insig­nificantly inceased as K-level increased up to 48 kg K20/fed. Purity per­centage was not significantly affected by the applied levels of N and K fertilizers.