Agricultural Operations as Root- knot Nematode Pest Management Strategy on Sugarbeet. 2- Utilizing Different Rates of Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilizers in Semi-Arid Land

This research aimed to evaluate the impact of different rates of nitrogen (0, 60, 90, and 120 kg/fed.) and potassium (0, 36, 48, and 60 Kg K₂O/fed.) fertilizers on the reproduction of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, and the quantitative and qualitative characters of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris, cv. Francescan). The findings demonstrated that increasing nitrogen and potassium rates progressively and significantly reduced nematode final population (juveniles in soil and all developmental stages within roots) as well as its reproduction factor. Conversely, high rates of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers significantly (P<0.05) enhanced all measured quantitative characters (including roots, top, raw sugar, and returned sugar yields) and most qualitative characters (such as raw sucrose content, returned sugar content, quality index, and loss sugar yield/fed) showed significant improvement, whereas the percentage of sugar lost in molasses was notably reduced. It could be calculated that the combination of ammonium nitrate at 120 kg N and potassium sulphate at 60 kg K2O per/ fed proved to be the most effective in suppressing nematode reproduction while boosting sugar beet productivity. This approach presents a novel strategy for managing root-knot nematode (M. javanica) in agricultural fields through the integrated application of essential nutrients.