IMPACT OF ZEOLITE AND BORON ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SUGAR BEET IN BORG EL-ARAB REGION

Two field trials were conducted on a private farm in El Gharbaniat, Borg El-Arab (latitude 30°55 N and longitude 29°32 E), Alexandria Governorate, Egypt, in 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 to investigate the influence of zeolite and foliar application with boron on the yield and quality of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris var. saccharifera, L.) grown in calcareous soil conditions. The study included twelve treatments that combined four zeolite doses (0, 250, 450, and 650 kg fed-1) and three boron levels applied as boric acid 17% boron (0, 100, and 200 ppm) sprayed at 60 and 80 days after sowing, utilizing a randomized block design in a split-plot arrangement with three replicates. The results revealed that increasing the zeolite level to 650 kg fed-1 markedly improved the leaf area index (LAI), relative growth rate (RGR), root fresh weight (RFW), diameter, number of roots fed-1, sucrose percent, quality index, root and sugar yields fed-1 (ton) in both seasons. The extracted sugar percentage increased in the first season but remained unaffected in the second one. Applying 200 ppm boron resulted in the highest values for LAI, RGR, root diameter, fresh weight, sucrose, and extracted sugar (ES %) percentages, root and sugar yields/fed, while the sugar lost to molasses % (SLM %), K and Na contents decreased. It is recommended that sugar beets be grown in calcareous sandy soil mixed with 650 kg/fed zeolite and that 200 ppm boron foliar spray be applied to maximize root and sugar yields and reduce root impurities.