INFLUENCE OF INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ON THE GROWTH, YIELD AND SUGAR CONTENT OF TROPICAL SUGARBEET (Beta vulgaris L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during November 2016 to April 2017 to find out the influence of integrated nutrient management on the growth, yield and sugar content of tropical sugarbeet. The experiment comprised two tropical sugarbeet varieties viz.PAC-60008 and SV-887and nine nutrient managements viz. Cowdung @ 10 t ha-1, Poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1, Recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (NPKSZnB @ 135-25-133-18-3.5-1.2 kg ha-1), 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + cowdung @ 10 t ha-1, 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1, 50% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + cowdung @ 10 t ha-1, 50% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1, 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + cowdung @ 5 t ha-1 and 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 2.5 t ha1 .The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The tallest plant (57.25 cm, at 100 DAS) was recorded in PAC-60008 fertilized with NPKSZnB @ 135- 25-133-18-3.5-1.2 kg ha-1 while the highest number of leaves plant-1(36.83, at 100DAS ) was found in SV-887 with 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1and the highest SPAD value (87.20, at 80 DAS) was recorded in SV-887 fertilized with 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + cowdung @ 10 t ha-1. The highest top length (50.33 cm) and top yield (38.67 t ha-1) at harvest were recorded in SV-887 fertilized with NPKSZnB @ 135-25-133-18-3.5-1.2 kg ha-1and PAC-60008 fertilized with 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 2.5 t ha-1, respectively. The highest beet girth (38.58 cm), average beet weight (0.98 kg) and beet yield (98.18 t ha-1) were recorded in PAC-60008 fertilized with 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @5 t ha-1 . The highest values of beet girth, average beet weight and beet yield were at par in PAC-60008 fertilized with NPKSZnB @ 135-25-133-18-3.5-1.2 kg ha-1and PAC60008 fertilized with 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 2.5 t ha-1while the lowest beet yield (22.10 t ha-1) was recorded in SV-887 fertilized with cowdung @ 10 t ha-1 . The highest brix (18 %) was recorded at harvest (150 DAS) in PAC-60008 fertilized with 50% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1while the lowest brix (14.67%) was obtained in SV-887 with poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1, and 75% NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + cowdung @ 5 t ha-1. Therefore, variety PAC-60008 fertilized with 75% recommended dose of NPK and other inorganic fertilizers + poultry manure @ 2.5 appears as the promising combination in terms of beet yield.