Effects of Tea Plant Compost and Mineral Nitrogen Levels on Yield and Quality of Sugar Beet Crop

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during two successive seasons of 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 at Sakha Agriculture Reseach Station, Egypt, to study the effects of different applications of compost tea (C) under three mineral nitrogen (N) levels and their interaction effects on sugar yield and juice quality characteristics of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), and soil available nutrients. Results indicated that the sugar yield and juice quality characteristics of sugar beet were significantly increased with compost tea treatments, especially in the plots treated with compost tea foliar application in three batches. A quality percentage of sugar beet was increased about 8.0% in the plots treated with compost tea or interaction between N mineral N and compost tea treatments above the control treatment. The interaction between mineral N and compost tea treatments had a significant effect on sugar yield, sugar percentage, purity, and quality of sugar beet and soil fertility.

Keywords:

• Compost tea
• interaction
• nitrogen fertilizer
• soil fertility
• sugar beet