IMPACT OF SOIL APPLIED MOLASSES AND FOLIAR SPRAYING WITH MAGNESIUM AND BORON ON SUGAR BEET YIELD AND QUALITY UNDER NITROGEN FERTILIZATION REGIME UNDER CLAY SOILS

Abu El-Fotoh, Hanan M.; El-Kalawy, Samia M.S; El-Sheref, Ghada F.H.

doi:10.21608/mjss.2025.426294.1038

IMPACT OF SOIL APPLIED MOLASSES AND FOLIAR SPRAYING WITH MAGNESIUM AND BORON ON SUGAR BEET YIELD AND QUALITY UNDER NITROGEN FERTILIZATION REGIME UNDER CLAY SOILS

Document Type : original papers

Authors

¹ Soils, Water and Environ. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Centre, Egypt

² Soils, Water, and Environment. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Centre, Egypt

10.21608/mjss.2025.426294.1038

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out on clay soil at El-Gemmeiza Agric. Res. Station, El-Gharbeya Governorate, Egypt, during two consecutive winter growing seasons 2023/2024 and 2024/2025. The investigation was aimed to enhance sugar beet (Aucklaned cv) production and quality by studying the effect of molasses (0 and 40 kg/fed. twice applications after 30 and 45 days after sowing) throughout irrigation under three nitrogen fertilization rates (60, 80 and 100% of the recommended rate) and foliar spray with both magnesium (Mg) at 0.5 % in the form of magnesium sulphate and boron (B) at 200 ppm in the form of boric acid three times 45, 60 and 75 days after sowing. The most important results were as follows: Sugar beet grown in clay soil treated with molasses at 40 kg/fed., fertilized with mineral nitrogen at 80% of the recommended rate (64 kg N/fed.), and sprayed with Mg at 0.5% increased chlorophyll a, b, total (a+b), and carotenoids in leaf tissues after 90 days of sowing, as well as the highest yield, K, and Mg contents in roots. Moreover, molasses application at 40 kg /fed., fertilizing with mineral nitrogen at 80% of the recommended rate (64 kg N/fed.), and spraying with B at 200 ppm increased root yield, root length, sucrose content (%), and sucrose yield (ton/fed.). These treatments reduced mineral nitrogen by about 20% in fertilization and increased root yield by 11.28% and sugar yield by 31.77% (averaged over the two growing seasons) compared with fertilizing with N at 100% of the recommended rate.

Keywords