EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM ON DRY MATTER PRODUCTION AND YIELD IN TROPICAL SUGAR BEET IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the research farm of the Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh from November 2012 to April 2013 with four levels of nitrogen viz. 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 in combination with four levels of potassium viz. 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1 to find out the optimum nitrogen and potassium requirement for maximum dry matter production and yield in tropical sugar beet in Bangladesh. Dry matters significantly increased with the increase in nitrogen level but the increase was not significant with increased potassium level. The combination of 150 kg N and 180 kg K ha-1 resulted the highest total dry matter production and its partitioning into root, petiole and leaf blade. Root weight per plant and root yield ha-1 significantly increased with the increase in nitrogen and potassium levels. Similarly, the highest root weight per plant (1109.38 g) and the highest root yield (87.24 t ha-1 ) in tropical sugar beet were obtained from the combination of 150 kg N and 180 kg K ha-1 . For maximum yield of tropical sugar beet in Bangladesh the nitrogen and potassium requirement of the crop seems to be more than 150 kg N and 180 kg K ha-1 .