Impact of Inorganic and Bio-Organic Fertilizers Application on Soil Fertility and Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris.L) Growth

Abstract

The study was conducted in season 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 at the College of Agricultural Studies Farm, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Shambat, Khartoum State, Sudan. Latitudes 15° 40' 5" N and longitudes 32° 32' 1" E and altitudes 380 m above the sea level. The main objective of this study was to improve the soil fertility by using different types of minerals and bio-organic fertilizers application to enhance the growth and beet yield of sugar beet under different season’s conditions in Sudan. The experiment was arranged in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with four replications and nine treatments. The experimental treatments were as follows: Control, Compost application 20 t/ha, nitrogen as urea 87 kg N/ha, phosphorus as super phosphates 88 kg P2O5/ha, inoculation with Azotobacter spp., inoculation Mycorrhizal fungi and their combinations with nitrogen and phosphorus. Statistical analysis (Mstat) was used to test the effects of treatments on different parameters. The results revealed that application of different fertilizers affected the soil pH, EC, O.C., N, P and K and their uptake by plant compared to that of the control in both seasons. Otherwise application of different treatments in two seasons revealed variable effects on sugar beet leaves number, shoot fresh and dry weights, root fresh and dry weights and shoot to root ratio and beet yield and the observation showed the winter season is best. Application of nitrogen treatments alone and their combinations showed significant differences in sugar beet root fresh and dry weights compared to that of the control and some treatments. The recommendation is that nitrogen as urea (87kg N/ha) and their combinations with mycorrhiza and phosphorus is the best source of fertilizers to sugar beet compared to the other treatments. Applications of bio-organic fertilizers to sugar beet need more researches to achieve the maximum growth of sugar beet. Sugar beet crop production in Sudan needs a policy decision.