INFLUENCES OF DIFFERENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF FOUR EGYPTIAN SUGAR BEET VARIETIES

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a plant cultivated for its highly concentrated sucrose root, which is used in industrial settings to produce sugar. Due to the climate changes that have led to water scarcity, many countries have turned to using modern irrigation systems to save water and maximize the utilization of accessible water assets. In this evaluation, two field experiments were conducted at the National Water Research Center, Water Management Research Institute, Maruit Station, Alexandria Governorate, during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 fall seasons. This study was conducted to evaluate the behavior and yield characteristics of four sugar beet varieties under various water system frameworks (drip, sprinkler, and furrow). Drip and furrow irrigation systems produced the highest values of quantitative yield indices at 180 days after sowing in both seasons, including root weight, root yield, and fresh top yield, when compared to sprinkler irrigation systems in both seasons and sugar yield in the first season only. In the first season, drip and furrow irrigation systems produced the most root perimeter when compared to sprinkler irrigation systems. Sugar beets grown under drip irrigation used 14.2% less water than those grown under sprinkler irrigation and 35.6% less water than those grown under furrow irrigation. Furthermore, the monogram varieties (BTS3980 and BTS3975) produced the highest values in root yield, sugar yield, and fresh top yield compared to the polygerm varieties (Oscar and Pyramid) in both seasons.