Bangladesh J. Agri. 2024, 49(2): 53-69 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/bjagri.v49i2.
78286
INFLUENCE OF MULCHING AND FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH,
YIELD AND QUALITY OF SUGAR BEET
N. Jahan1*, A. H. M. Solaiman1, N. Islam1, F. Hossain2, and S. Choudhury1*
1
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar,
Dhaka; 2Department of Agroforestry and Environmental Science, SAU, Dhaka. Bangladesh.
Abstract
An experiment was carried out during the period from October 2022 to April
2023 to investigate the effect of different mulching materials and fertilizers on sugar beet
growth, yield, and quality. The experiment consisted of mulch materials: no mulch, black
polythene mulch, and rice straw mulch; and four fertilizer treatment: control (no
fertilizer), 100% RCF (recommended chemical fertilizer), 100% vermicompost @ 10 t/ha
and 50% vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF. Treatment with 50% vermicompost + 50%
inorganic fertilizer (RCF) produced significant results than other treatments. Among the
mulch materials, black polythene performed better than the other mulch materials.
Accordingly, 50% vermicompost + 50% inorganic fertilizer and black polythene mulch
may be recommended to obtain better sugar beet yield and quality.
Keywords: Black polythene, Rice straw, Sugar beet, Vermicompost.
Introduction
Tropical sugar beet, scientifically known as Beta vulgaris (L.), is a biennial,
herbaceous tuber crop grown in temperate climates that yields sugar. It is one of the most
widely grown crop in the Chenopodiaceae family (Chawla et al., 2016). The current
production of sugar in Bangladesh meets about 5% of total demand and 20% of total
requirement covers with jaggery mainly from sugarcane and the rest 75% sugar demand
is fulfilled by import (Rahman et al., 2016). The area under cane cultivation is drastically
reduced due to pressure of cereals and other short-duration crops, which cause lower
amount of sugarcane production. Sugar beet has got many benefits compared to
sugarcane due to its short duration with high sucrose contents (Paul et al., 2018).
Soil fertility is being depleted due to increased cultivation in the country driven
by population growth, while the use of mineral fertilizers to restore nutrients has
drawbacks such as high costs and harmful effects on soil health and the environment
(Abd-Elrahman, 2017). Fertilizers, both organic and inorganic, may influence the growth
and development of crops. Imbalanced nutrition is one of the important constraints
towards higher productivity and other quality parameters of crops. According to Islam et
al. (2016), an integrated strategy to fertilizer management might significantly reduce
leaching losses of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S). Manures
*
Corresponding author: [email protected]; [email protected]
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 54
provide all the necessary nutrients, enhance the physical, chemical, and biological
characteristics of soils, and may even aid increase agricultural yield while preserving the
environment. According to Kamal et al. (2012), deteriorated soil can be productively
restored with organic fertilizer. Integrated nutrients management have a major impact on
tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) agronomical growth and crop yield (Chopra et al.,
2017). Mulching, particularly polyethylene mulch, which raises soil temperature and
modifies the microclimate (Malik et al., 2018), can improve the available soil moisture
condition by capturing micro efficient or ineffective precipitation, decreasing soil
evaporation, and limiting runoff (Chen et al., 2019). Mulching is essential for improving
crop productivity by raising soil temperature, conserving moisture, and reducing weed
infestation, particularly in winter, leading to lower costs (Chakraborty et al., 2008). The
use of black polyethylene film mulch was also found to be superior to that of straw mulch
(Moursy et al., 2021).
Crop yield potential can be achieved by the effective and balanced use of both
organic and inorganic fertilizer sources as well as the application of appropriate
agronomic package practices (Meena et al., 2016). A limited amount of information has
been published on sugar beet production in terms of the best mulch material and suitable
nutrient management. Therefore, this experiment has understood to determine the effect
of mulching and nutrient management on growth and yield of sugar beet and to identify
the suitable treatment combination for quality sugar beet production.
Materials and Methods
The study was carried out at the central farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural
University Dhaka during November 2022 to April 2023. The farm is situated at an
elevation of 8.2 meters above sea level, at latitude 23°47′ N and longitude 90°35′ E. The
experiment was carried out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three
replications. This study was set up using a two-factorial design with Factor A: M0 (No
mulch), M1 (Black polythene mulch) and M2 (Rice straw mulch); and F0=Control (no
fertilizer), F1=100% RCF (recommended chemical dose), F2= 100% Vermicompost @ 10
t/ha, and F3= 50% Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF. The chemical composition of
vermicompost was analyzed with the help of SRDI (Table 1). The initial soil nutrient
status was also explored in the laboratory of SRDI (Table 2). In case of mulching, 15μM
of black high-density polyethylene (HDPE) film was used and the thickness of rice straw
mulch was maintained 4-5 cm (3t/ha) as a layer, which helped to control soil temperature
and moisture. Well-decomposed vermicompost was applied 15 days before seeding.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sulfur and boron were applied in the forms of
urea, TSP, MP, Zinc sulphate, gypsum and boric acid @ 260, 100, 225, 10, 100 and 20 kg
ha-1, respectively. Full dose of phosphorus was applied as basal dressing at the time of
sowing. Nitrogen and potash were split into three applications: one at the base and two
side dressings at 30 and 60 days after sowing (FRG, 2018). The tropical sugar beet
genotype SV889 was used. Seeds treated with Vitavax-200 fungicide, were sown on
November 10, 2022, in bed method, at a spacing of 50 cm × 20 cm. Sugar beets were
harvested by hand when 70–80% of the leaves were dried. Irrigation was stopped 15 days
before harvesting to allow the land to dry.
55 Jahan et al.
Table 1. Nutrient composition of vermicompost
Sample Chemical composition
N (%) P (%) K (%)
Vermicompost
1.32 1.16 1.27
Table 2. Initial soil fertility status of the experimental plot
Soil characters Value
pH 6.7
Organic matter 1.35
Nitrogen 0.11%
Phosphorus 20 ppm
Potassium 0.12 meq/100 g soil
Sulphur 44 ppm
Boron 0.19 ppm
Zink 8.52 ppm
a b
Fig. a. Research field with treatment Fig. b. Sugar beet data collection
combination
Measurement of growth parameters
Five plants in each treatment and replication were used to measure different
growth parameters. The height of the plant, length of leaf petiole, length of leaf blade,
width of leaf blade, root length was measured with the help of a measuring tape and root
diameter measured by a slide caliper. Plant height and no. of leaves data were taken on
the dates of harvest as well as at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAS. Number of leaves were
counted individually. Root length and root diameter were measured on the dates of 60
DAS to harvest.
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 56
SPAD value
The initial fully inflated leaf content was measured using a Minolta, Tokyo,
Japan, SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter. All treated and control plants had measurements
made from the middle of the leaf lamina.
Measurement of yield and yield attributes
Sugar beet yield
Five plants were randomly counted from each plot, and the mean weight of shoot
and root was recorded (g) using a digital electric balance. The shoot and root were dried
for 48h at 70ºC in a convection oven, then transferred into desiccator and allowed to cool
down at room temperature, final weight was recorded (g) as shoot and root dry weight.
Sugar beet yield was calculated using the formula:
Sugar beet yield (t/ha)
Sugar yield
Sugar yield was calculated using the formula:
)
Measurements of quality attribute
TSS
By using a hand refractometer (Hanna Instruments, HI96801, Romania) at room
temperature, the percentage of brix was measured after harvest.
Sucrose %
Pol or percent sucrose is the only sucrose content in the juice measured by
polarimeter. Pol percent juice was measured by using automatic polarimeter (Model AP-
300, Atago Co., Ltd., Japan).
Purity%
Apparent purity percentage was determined as a ratio of sucrose % divided by
TSS% of roots as the method outlined by Carruthers and Old Field (1960). The purity
percentage was calculated from the data of brix and sugar percentage by using the
following formula:
Statistical analysis
The collected data were analyzed statistically by using the “Statistix 10”
computer package. Least Significant Difference (LSD) technique at 0.05% level of
significance was used to compare the mean differences among the treatments (Gomez
and Gomez, 1984).
57 Jahan et al.
Results and Discussion
Seed germination
The use of mulching improved nutrient availability, soil structure, reduce nitrate
leaching, improved the physical characteristics of the soil, increased biological activity,
supply organic matter, regulate temperature and water retention, and lessen erosion (El-
Beltagi et al., 2022). The combined use of mulching and fertilizers significantly (P≤0.05)
increased the days of seed germination (Figure 1). The shortest beet root germination
time (5 days) was achieved with black polythene mulch and a mixture of 50%
vermicompost and 50% RCF. Treatments M1F1 and M1F2 both resulted in germination
within 6.67 days, while the slowest germination (12 days) occurred with no treatment.
Ferdousi et al. (2010) reported similar results in potato seed germination (maximum time
17.00 days), where organic and inorganic fertilizers combined with black polythene
mulch sped up the process.
14
Days of germination
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
M0F0 M0F1 M0F2 M0F3 M1F0 M1F1 M1F2 M1F3 M2F0 M2F1 M2F2 M2F3
M:Mulching, F: Fertilizer combined teratment
Here, M0=No mulch, M1=Black polythene mulch, M2=Rice straw mulch, F0=Control (No fertilizer),
F1=100% RCF (Recommended chemical fertilizer), F2=100%Vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, and
F3=50%Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF.
Fig. 1. Effect of mulching and fertilizer management on days to seed germination of
sugar beet
Plant height (cm)
Sugar beet plant height was significantly influenced by mulching and nutrient
management. The impact of different mulching and fertilizer treatments on plant height at
various growth stages (30, 60, 90, 120, and 155 DAS) is shown in Figure 2. During 30 to
155 DAS, plant height ranged from 26.43 to 64.50 cm in the M1F3 treatment and 23.33 to
59.07 cm in the M2F3 treatment. In comparison, plant height in the M0F3 treatment ranged
from 20.23 to 54.93 cm, while the control (M0F0) ranged from 10.80 to 36.07 cm. The
M1F3 treatment produced the tallest plants, with a maximum height of 64.50 cm at 155
DAS, followed by M2F3 at 59.07 cm and M1F2 at 58.07 cm. The shortest plants (36.07
cm) were observed in the control treatment at 155 DAS. The use of black polythene
mulch with 50% RCF and 50% vermicompost @ 5 t/ha resulted in the maximum plant
height of sugar beet.
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 58
70.00
60.00
50.00
Plant height (cm)
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
M0F0 M0F1 M0F2 M0F3 M1F0 M1F1 M1F2 M1F3 M2F0 M2F1 M2F2 M2F3
Fertilizer and Mulching combination
30 DAS 60 DAS 90 DAS
Here, M0=No mulch, M1=Black polythene mulch, M2=Rice straw mulch, F0=Control (No fertilizer),
F1=100% RCF (Recommended chemical fertilizer), F2=100%Vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, and
F3=50%Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF.
Fig. 2. Effect of mulching and fertilizer management on sugar beet plant height at
different days after sowing
Similar findings were reported by Jagadeesh et al. (2018), Maloisane et al.
(2022) and Sarker et al. (2023) on sugar beet. Plant height was 10.90 to 12.33% higher
with different treatments compared to the control. The combination of vermicompost,
inorganic fertilizer and mulching enhanced plant growth by providing both immediate
and sustained nutrient release.
SPAD value
The revealed data showed statistically significant (P≤0.05) variations on SPAD
value of sugar beet under interaction effects of different mulching and fertilizer
management treatment. The combined treatments, M1F3 (BPM + 50% RCF and 50%
vermicompost @5t/ha) and M2F3 (RSM + 50% RCF and 50% vermicompost @5t/ha)
produced the maximum SPAD values (54.7 and 53, respectively). Meanwhile, the control
treatment (No mulch + no fertilizer) gave the lowest, 36.63 SPAD value (Figure 3).
SPAD value increased in fully vegetative stage that means from 60 DAS to 120 DAS.
59 Jahan et al.
70.00
60.00
50.00
SPAD value
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
M0F0 M0F1 M0F2 M0F3 M1F0 M1F1 M1F2 M1F3 M2F0 M2F1 M2F2 M2F3
Treatment Combinations (M: Mulching and F: Fertilizer)
Here, M0=No mulch, M1=Black polythene mulch, M2=Rice straw mulch, F0=Control (No fertilizer),
F1=100% RCF (Recommended chemical fertilizer), F2=100%Vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, and
F3=50%Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% (RCF).
Fig. 3. Effect of Mulching and Fertilizer management on SPAD value of sugar beet
Number of leaves/plants
The number of leaves is one of the major growth-attributing parameters. The
interaction of different mulching types and organic and inorganic fertilizer management
significantly (P≤0.05) influenced the number of sugar beet leaves (Figure 4) and data
were recorded from 30 DAS to 150 DAS. The M1F3 treatment resulted in the highest leaf
count of 28.67 leaves per plant, while the control (M0F0) had the lowest at 11.67 leaves
per plant. The combined treatments M0F3, M1F1, M1F2, and M2F3 also showed superior
leaf numbers (20.00, 20.67, 22.00, 23.67 leaves per plant, respectively) with no
significant differences among them. The result obtained shows that the number of leaves
decreased at harvest due to drying of older leaves. The combined application of
vermicompost and chemical fertilizer produced more leaves per plant than vermicompost
alone (Zaman et al., 2015; Lasmini S A et al., 2019).
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 60
40.00
35.00
30.00
Number of leaves
25.00
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00
M0F0 M0F1 M0F2 M0F3 M1F0 M1F1 M1F2 M1F3 M2F0 M2F1 M2F2 M2F3
M: Mulching ; F: Fertilizer
30 DAS 60 DAS 90 DAS 120 DAS 155 DAS
Here, M0=No mulch, M1=Black polythene mulch, M2=Rice straw mulch, F0=Control (No fertilizer),
F1=100% RCF (Recommended chemical fertilizer), F2=100%Vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, and
F3=50%Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF.
Fig. 4. Effect of mulching and fertilizer management on no. of leaves of sugar beet at
different days after sowing
Leaf characters
The combined application of mulching and fertilizer have significant (P≤0.05)
effect on the leaf characters (length of leaf petiole, length of leaf blade and width of leaf
blade) of sugar beet and the results are showed in the Figure 5. The longest leaf twig
length and leaf blade length were 24.5 cm and 26.83 cm, recorded from M1F3 treatment.
The lowest length of leaf petiole 13.67 cm and length of leaf blade was 18.33 cm,
recorded from M0F0 (control) treatment. The results are in agreement with the finding of
Ruksun et al. (2022) in spinach. Similarly, the largest leaf blade width of 15.33 cm was
recorded in the M1F3 treatment, while the second largest, 13.67 cm was observed in the
M2F3 treatment. The smallest width, 7.73 cm, was recorded in the control (M0F0)
treatment. Similar results were found by Dulal et al. (2021) in radish.
61 Jahan et al.
30
25
Length (cm)
20
15
10
5
0
M0F0 M0F1 M0F2 M0F3 M1F0 M1F1 M1F2 M1F3 M2F0 M2F1 M2F2 M2F3
Treatment Combinations (M: Mulching and F: Fertilizer)
Length of Leaf Petiole Length of Leaf Blade Width of Leaf Blade
Here, M0=No mulch, M1=Black polythene mulch, M2=Rice straw mulch, F0=Control (No fertilizer),
F1=100% RCF (Recommended chemical fertilizer), F2=100%Vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, and
F3=50%Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF
Fig. 5. Effect of mulching and fertilizer management on leaf characters of sugar beet
Root length (cm)
The interaction of mulching and nutrient management significantly (p<0.05)
influenced root length (Figure 6). The longest root (25.53 cm) was obtained with black
polythene mulch and M1F3. Treatments M1F1 and M1F2 had similar lengths (21.40 cm and
21.57 cm, respectively). The shortest beet root length (11.43 cm) was observed in the
M0F0 treatment (no mulch, no fertilizer). Similar results were reported by Maloisane et al.
(2022) in sugar beet.
30.00
25.00
Length (cm)
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00
M0F0 M0F1 M0F2 M0F3 M1F0 M1F1 M1F2 M1F3 M2F0 M2F1 M2F2 M2F3
Treatment Combinations (M: Mulching and F: Fertilizer; Data of 60,90,120 and 155
DAS)
60DAS 90DAS 120 DAS 155 DAS
Here, M0=No mulch, M1=BPM, M2=RSM, F0=Control (No fertilizer), F1=100% RCF (Recommended
chemical fertilizer), F2=100%Vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, and F3=50% Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF.
Fig. 6. Effect of mulching and fertilizer management on root length of sugar beet at
different days after sowing
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 62
Root diameter (cm)
Sugar beet root diameter increased gradually from 60 DAS to 155 DAS with both
individual mulching and fertilizer treatments (Fig. 7). The largest root diameter (15.1 cm)
was recorded in the M1F3 treatment, followed by 13.5 cm in M2F3. The smallest diameter
(8.37 cm) was observed in M0F0 (no mulch, no fertilizer) at harvest. Similar results were
reported by Dulal et al. (2021) in radish and Maloisane et al. (2022) in sugar beet.
18.00
16.00
14.00
12.00
Length (cm)
10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
M0F0 M0F1 M0F2 M0F3 M1F0 M1F1 M1F2 M1F3 M2F0 M2F1 M2F2 M2F3
Treatment Combinations (M: Mulching and F: Fertilizer; Data of 60,90,120 & 155
DAS)
60DAS 90DAS 120 DAS 155 DAS
Here, M0=No mulch, M1=BPM, M2=RSM, F0=Control (No fertilizer), F1=100% RCF (Recommended
chemical fertilizer), F2=100%Vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, and F3=50%Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha + 50% RCF.
Fig. 7. Effect of mulching and fertilizer management on root diameter of sugar beet at
different days after sowing
Shoot fresh and dry weight (g)
Data on Table 3 represent that, at harvest, the M1F3 treatment produced the
maximum fresh shoot weight of 450 g, while the M0F0 treatment had the lowest (115.33
g). The combined effects of mulching and fertilizer management significantly influenced
sugar beet shoot dry weight. Similarly, the M1F3 treatment recorded the highest shoot dry
weight at 78.6 g, while the control had the lowest at 16.26 g (Table 2). These results align
with Alam et al. (2007), who found that the best shoot dry matter was obtained with the
combined application of vermicompost and chemical fertilizer.
63 Jahan et al.
Table 3. Effect of mulching and integrated fertilizer management on plant yield
components of sugar beet
Treatment Shoot fresh weight Shoot dry Beet root fresh Root dry weight
(g) weight (g) weight (g) (g)
M0F0 115.33 16.26 390.70 40.31
M0F1 169.00 28.09 588.00 101.61
M0F2 230.00 32.65 673.70 119.67
M0F3 306.00 45.66 803.70 173.95
M1F0 179.33 28.77 749.00 109.97
M1F1 265.67 37.50 781.00 168.11
M1F2 280.67 40.28 966.70b 159.18
M1F3 450.00 78.60 1520.70 434.39
M2F0 166.00 23.97 568.30 76.58
M2F1 253.33 33.56 754.70 130.16
M2F2 238.67 40.28 735.70 159.18
M2F3 384.00 60.92 1176.70 286.95
CV% 14.29 9.06 13.01 10.69
LSD (0.05) 61.25 6.02 177.47 30.39
Here, M0=No mulch, M1: Black polythene mulch, M2: Rice straw mulch. F0: Control (No fertilizer), F1:
100% vermicompost @ 10t/ha, F2: 100% Recommended chemical dose, and F3: 50% Vermicompost @ 5t/ha
and 50% RCF.
Root fresh and dry weight (g)
At harvest, the M1F3 treatment produced the highest root fresh weight of 1520.70
g, while the M0F0 treatment had the lowest at 390.7 g (Table 3). Enhancing root quality
and output is mostly dependent on diet. The root dry weight (Table 2) of sugar beet was
affected by the combined application of vermicompost and RCF during the cropping
season. At harvest, the M1F3 treatment had the highest root dry weight at 434.39 g, while
M0F0 had the lowest at 40.31 g. According to Ferdoushi et al. (2010), black polythene
mulch and a combination of organic and chemical fertilizers produced the highest potato
yields.
Sugar beet yield (t/ha)
The combined application of mulching and fertilizer significantly (P≤0.05)
increased sugar beet yield (Table 4). It is evident from the data that the highest sugar beet
yield, 121.52 t/ha, was recorded in the M1F3 treatment, while the lowest, 31.25 t/ha, was
in the M0F0 treatment. Gross yield was highest with M1F3, 288.86% greater than the
control (M0F0). Nutrition plays an important role in improving productivity and quality of
beet root (Hussain & Kerketta, 2023). The treatment 50% vermicompost and 50% NPK
supplies higher macro and micronutrients to the soil and plants get it in the available from
which results in better growth, yield and quality of crops (Manivannan et al. 2009).
Moursy AMM et al. (2021) reported that, root yield of sugar beet increased by 16.8 and
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 64
51.6%, as well for rice straw mulch and BPFM (black polythene film mulch) treatment
compared to no mulch (NM). Black polythene mulch with mineral fertilizer and
vermicompost showed the best performance for growth and yield of carrot by Biswas et
al. (2019).
Sugar yield (t/ha)
The combined effect of mulching and fertilizer management significantly (P≤0.05)
influenced sugar yield. Table 4 shows that the highest yield, 18.30 t/ha, was recorded
from the M1F3 treatment (BPM + 50% VC @ 3 t/ha and 50% RCF), followed by M2F3
(13.36 t/ha). Other yields were M1F2 (10.69 t/ha), M1F1 (9.13 t/ha), and M0F3 (8.74 t/ha).
The lowest (3.76 t/ha) sugar yield was recorded from control treatment. The best
treatment combination (M1F3) gave 386.7% increased sugar yield compared to control.
Sugar yield increased by 25.8 and 101.3% as well for RSM and BPFM treatment
compared to no mulch (Moursy M A et al., 2021).
Table 4. The combined effect of mulching and integrated fertilizer management
on yield and quality attributes of sugar beet
Treatment Beet yield
Sugar yield (t/ha) TSS (°Brix) Sucrose (%) Purity (%)
combinations (t/ha)
M0F0 31.25 3.76 15.00 10.02 66.80
M0F1 49.71 6.11 18.60 12.31 66.78
M0F2 53.89 6.83 19.00 12.68 66.73
M0F3 64.3 8.74 19.60 13.60 69.38
M1F0 54.88 7.04 18.00 12.84 71.33
M1F1 67.92 9.13 19.50 13.45 68.97
M1F2 77.33 10.69 20.07 13.89 69.24
M1F3 121.52 18.30 20.60 15.06 73.37
M2F0 44.13 5.49 18.00 12.45 69.16
M2F1 55.31 6.89 18.80 12.47 66.32
M2F2 58.85 8.17 19.30 13.86 71.81
M2F3 94.13 13.36 20.17 14.20 70.64
CV% 13.01 13.05 2.95 0.14 0.19
LSD (0.05) 14.19 1.92 0.94 0.03 0.22
Here, M0=No mulch, M1: Black polythene mulch, M2: Rice straw mulch. F0: Control (No fertilizer), F1: 100%
vermicompost @ 10 t/ha, F2: 100% Recommended chemical dose, and F3: 50% Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha and
50% RCF.
Total soluble solid
Total soluble solid (TSS) was significantly (P≤0.05) affected by the combined
application of mulching and fertilizer (Table 4). The highest TSS values were 20.60,
20.07 and 20.04°Brix, recorded in the M1F3, M1F2, and M2F3 treatments, respectively.
65 Jahan et al.
The lowest TSS (15°Brix) was observed in the M0F0 treatment (control). These results
highlight that black polythene mulch with 50% vermicompost and 50% RCF produced
the highest TSS in sugar beet. The similar result was reported by Kondal et al. (2024) on
sugar beet.
Sucrose (%)
The combined effects of mulching and fertilizer management significantly
(P≤0.05) impacted sucrose % (Table 4). The highest sucrose level, 15.06%, was found in
the M1F3 treatment, followed by 14.2% in M2F3. Other sucrose levels were M1F2
(13.89%), M2F2 (13.86%), and M0F3 (13.6%). The lowest sucrose level, 10.02%, was in
the M0F0 treatment (control). Black polythene mulch with 50% vermicompost and 50%
RCF yielded the highest sucrose content. These findings were in harmony with those of
Moursy et al. (2021).
Purity (%)
The purity (%) of sugar beet was influenced by the combined application of
mulching and fertilizer, as shown in Table 4. Data show that the highest purity of 73.37%
was recorded in the M1F3 treatment, followed by 71.81% in M2F2. Other treatments had
purities of 71.33% (M1F0) and 70.64% (M2F3). The lowest purity, 66.32%, was found in
M2F1. Black polythene mulch with 50% vermicompost and 50% RCF produced the
highest juice purity. Positive effect of mulching and integrated fertilizer apply on juice
quality might be due to the promotional effect metabolic process and translocation of
carbohydrates from tops to roots (Helaly et al., 2017).
Correlation matrix
In current study, a positive linear relationship between the growth and yield
parameters was observed, the correlation matrix among different plant growth, yield and
quality parameters have been presented in Table 5. The correlation matrix showed that
plant height of sugar beet had significantly strong and positive correlation with shoot
length of plant (r = 0.984***), root length (r = 0.976***), root diameter (r = 0.965***),
plant weight (r = 0.941***), shoot fresh weight (r = 0.948***), root fresh weight (r =
0.920***), TSS (OBrix) (r = 0.911***), sucrose% (r = 0.924***), root dry weight (r =
0.881**), shoot dry weight ( r = 0.924***), root yield (r = 0.928***), shoot yield of sugar
beet (r = 0.949***), and sugar yield (r = 0.918***). These results indicated that root yield
of sugar beet depends on plant height, shoot length, root length, root diameter, plant
weight of sugar beet, shoot and root fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight of beet. Root
fresh weight has a strong correlation with shoot fresh weight (0.991***). The sugar beet
quality parameters, such as, brix%, pol% and purity% also correlated with root yield of
sugar beet. Some pairs show moderate correlations (e.g., values between 0.5 and 0.7),
indicating a weaker but still positive relationship. TSS (oBrix) has moderate correlations
with purity% (0.597**) and high correlations with pol% (0.952***). Correlation studies
provides a measure of association between the characters and reveals that character that
might be useful as an index for selection.
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 66
Table 5. Correlation matrix among different parameters of sugar beet as
influenced by treatments
Parameter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
s
Plant H 1
Shoot L 0.984 1
Root L 0.976 0.968 1
Root D 0.965 0.941 0.970 1
Plant W 0.941 0.965 0.943 0.926 1
Sh F W 0.948 0.968 0.947 0.932 0.975 1
RFW 0.920 0.955 0.918 0.895 0.991 0.954 1
Brix 0.911 0.908 0.873 0.869 0.812 0.830 0.781 1
Sucrose 0.924 0.945 0.899 0.892 0.875 0.863 0.858 0.952 1
R DW 0.881 0.914 0.898 0.895 0.980 0.954 0.971 0.733 0.820 1
Sh D W 0.924 0.947 0.926 0.929 0.983 0.978 0.969 0.789 0.862 0.989 1
R&S 0.943 0.955 0.943 0.908 0.943 0.894 0.933 0.889 0.923 0.883 0.887 1
RDM% 0.922 0.943 0.933 0.926 0.994 0.963 0.987 0.771 0.850 0.989 0.986 0.922 1
Beet Y 0.928 0.954 0.931 0.914 0.998 0.959 0.993 0.796 0.866 0.977 0.974 0.948 0.994 1
Shoot Y 0.949 0.968 0.947 0.932 0.974 1.000 0.953 0.831 0.863 0.953 0.978 0.893 0.962 0.958 1
Sugar Y 0.918 0.944 0.926 0.912 0.996 0.954 0.990 0.773 0.856 0.983 0.977 0.936 0.997 0.998 0.953 1
SPAD V 0.891 0.891 0.902 0.858 0.839 0.863 0.790 0.862 0.880 0.809 0.841 0.874 0.811 0.820 0.864 0.809 1
Purity 0.597 0.663 0.606 0.599 0.679 0.595 0.700 0.496 0.736 0.699 0.693 0.653 0.694 0.688 0.594 0.712 0.582 1
nL 0.960 0.980 0.964 0.942 0.979 0.953 0.969 0.849 0.927 0.944 0.956 0.968 0.969 0.976 0.953 0.974 0.881 0.743 1
*** Significant at 0.05% level of probability
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that the combined application of mulching and integrated
fertilizer management significantly enhances the growth, yield, and quality of sugar beet.
The M1F3 treatment (black polythene mulch with 50% vermicompost and 50% RCF)
produced the highest values across all growth parameters, including seed germination,
plant height, number of leaves, leaf dimensions, root diameter and length, and total dry
matter over the treatment combination M2F3. This treatment also yielded the highest beet
production, sugar yield, TSS, purity, and sucrose percentage. Conversely, the control
treatment showed the lowest values in these parameters. These findings highlighted the
effectiveness of combined application of M1F3 in optimizing sugar beet production and
quality.
Acknowledgment
Bangladesh's National Agricultural Technology Program Phase-II Project
(NATP-2) provided financial assistance for this study.
Author’s contribution
A. H. M. Solaiman and N. Islam were responsible for the study's conception and
design; A. H. M. Solaiman verified the analytical methods; A. H. M. Solaiman, N. Islam,
and S. Choudhury encouraged, investigated, and supervised the work's findings; N. Jahan
collected, analyzed, and interpreted the data; and F. Hossain, S. Choudhury, and N. Jahan
67 Jahan et al.
prepared the draft manuscript. Each author evaluated the findings, offered insightful
criticism, influenced the direction of the study, and gave their approval to the
manuscript's final draft.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding publication of this
manuscript.
References
Abd-Elrahman, K. S., Hamilton, A., Hutchinson, S. R., Liu, F., Russell, R. C., and Ferguson, S. S.
2017. MGluR5 antagonism increases autophagy and prevents disease progression in the
zQ175 mouse model of Huntin. Dise. Sci. Signal. 10(510):6387.
Alam, M. N., Jahan, M. S., Ali, M. K., Ashraf, M. A., and Islam, M. K. 2007. Effect of
vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on growth, yield and yield components of potato
in barind soils of Bangladesh. J. Appl. Sci. Res. 3(12):1879-1888.
Biswas, B. R., Khatun, K., Haq, M. E., Afsun, J., Islam, M. N., Islam, M. R., and Ahmed, M.
2019. Effect of Organic Manure and Mulching on the Growth and Yield of Carrot
(Daucus carota L.). Asian J. Res. Crop Sci. 4(3):1-11.
Carruthers, A., and Oldfield, J. F. T. 1960. Methods for the assessment of beet quality. Int. Sugar
J. 63:72-74.
Chakraborty, D., Nagarajan, S., Aggarwal, P., Gupta, V. K., Tomar, R. K., Garg, R. N., and Kalra,
N. 2008. Effect of mulching on soil and plant water status, and the growth and yield of
wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a semi-arid environment. Agri. Water Management.
95(12):1323-1334.
Chopra, A. K., Temin, P., Srivastava, S., and Kumar, V. 2017. Effects of integrated nutrient
management on agronomical attributes of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) under
field conditions. Archives Agri. Environ. Sci. 2(2):86-91.
Chawla, H., Parle, M., Sharma, K., and Yadav, M. 2016. Beetroot: A health promoting functional
food. Inventi Rapid: Nutraceuticals. 1(1):0976-3872.
Chen, Y., Chai, S., Tian, H., Chai, Y., Chang, Y. Li. L., and Cheng, H. 2019. Straw strips mulch
on furrows improves water use efficiency and yield of potato in a rainfed semi-arid area.
Agri. Water Management. 211:142-151.
Dulal, D., Baral, D., Poudel, A., Kafle, K., and Shrestha, B. 2021. Effect of different doses of
vermicompost on growth, yield and quality of radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Mino
Early). Archives Agri. Environ. Sci. 6(3):354-359.
El-Beltagi, H., Basit, A., Mohamed, H., Ali, I., Durrani, S., Kamel, E., Shalaby, T., Ramadan, K.,
Alkhateeb, A., and Ghazzawy, H. 2022. Mulching as a Sustainable Water and Soil
Saving Practice in Agriculture: A Review. Agronomy. 12(8):1881.
Ferdoushi, S. N., Farooque, A. M., and Alam, M. S. 2010. Effects of organic and inorganic
fertilizer management practices and mulch on the growth and yield of potato. J. Agrofor.
Environ. 3(2):175-178.
FRG (Fertilizer Recommendation Guide). 2018. Published by Bangladesh Agri. Res. Council,
Farmgate, Dhaka.
Gomez, K. A., and Gomez, A. A. 1984. Statistical Procedures for Agri. Res. 2nd Edition, John
Influence of Mulching and Fertilizer Management of Sugar Beet 68
Wiley and Sons, New York. p. 680.
Helaly, A. A., Goda, Y. A., El-Rehim, A. S., Mohamed, A. A., and El-Zeiny, O. H. 2017. Effect
of polyethylene mulching type on the growth, yield and fruits quality of Physalis
pubescons, Adv. Plants Agri. Res. 6(5):1-7.
Hussain, S. and Kerketta, A. 2023. Effect of Organic Manure and Inorganic Fertilizer on Growth
and Root Yield of Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.). Inter. J. Envir. Climate
Change. 13(8):1866-1870.
Islam, M. N., Sarkar, M. I. U., Ali, M. H., Islam, A., and Saha, P. K. 2016. IPNS based fertilizer
management for rice in coastal zone of Bangladesh. BJAR. 41(4):667-673
Jagadeesh, C., Madhavi, M., Prasad, M. S., and Padmaja, V. V. 2018. Effect of organic manures
on growth and yield attributes of beetroot cv. Crimson Globe. Int. J. Curr. Microbiol.
Appl. Sci. 7(11):3538-3553.
Kamal, A. M., Alam, M. A., Uddin, M. Z., Hossain, M. M., and Islam, M. N. 2012. Impact of
organic fertilizer on physical and chemical properties of soil as well as yield and quality
of mango. J. Bangladesh Soc. Agri. Sci. Tech. 9(1&2):167-170.
Kondal, P., Kaur, R., Singh, N., Maurya, V., Sharma, A., and Kumar, D. R. 2024. Effect of
organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth, yield and quality of beetroot (Beta
vulgaris L.). Inter. J. Res. Agro. 7:180-186.
Lasmini, S. A., Wahyudi, I., Rosmini, R., Nasir, B., and Edy, N. 2019.Combined application of
mulches and organic fertilizers enhance shallot production in dryland. Agro. Res.
19(1):165.
Malik, A., Shakir, A. S., Khan, M. J., Naveedullah, L. M., Ajmal, M., and Ahmad, S. 2018.
Effects of different mulching techniques on sugar beet performance under semi-arid
subtropical climatic conditions. Pakistan J. Botany. 50:1219-1224.
Manivannan, S., Balamurugan, M., Parthasarathi, K., Gunasekaran, G., and Ranganathan, L. S.
2009. Effect of vermicompost on soil fertility and crop productivity-beans (Phaseolus
vulgaris) J. Environ. Bio. 30(2):275-281.
Maloisane, R. M., and Kayombo, B. 2022. Evaluation of vermicompost on development and yield
of beetroot (Beta vulgaris). World J. Adv. Eng. Eng. Tech. Sci. 7(1):1-8.
Meena, B. P., Kumar, A., Dhar, S., Paul, S., and Kumar, A. 2016. Productivity, nutrient uptake
and quality of popcorn and potato in relation to organic nutrient management practices.
Ann. Agri. Sci. 37(1):72-79.
Moursy, M. A., El-Kady, M. S., Hamed, L. M. M., Ibrahim, T. A., and Emara, E. 2021. Integrated
water and weed management of sugar beet crop by using different mulching in new
reclaimed areas. Alexandria Sci. Exchange J. 42:155-165.
Paul, S. K., Paul, S. C., Sarkar, A. R., and Hossain, S. 2018. Influence of integrated nutrient
management on the growth, yield and sugar content of tropical sugar beet (Beta vulgaris
L.). Pakistan Sugar J. 33(2):11-16.
Rahman, M., Khatun, S., and Rahman, M. 2016. Sugarcane and Sugar Industry in Bangladesh: An
Overview. Sugar Tech. 18.
Raksun, A., Merta, I., Mertha, I., and Ilhamdi, M. 2022. The effect of vermicompost and NPK
fertilizer on the growth of Spinach (Amaranthus tricolor). J. Pijar Mipa. 17:691-695.
Sarker, S., Mahapatra, C. K., Sarkar, S. K., Rashid, M. H., and Paul, S. K. 2023. Influence of time
69 Jahan et al.
of sowing and nutrient management on yield and quality of table beet in Bangladesh. J.
Bangladesh Agri. Uni. 21(2): 144-151.
Zaman, M. M., Chowdhury, M. A. H., Islam, M. R., and Uddin, M. R. 2015. Effects of
vermicompost on growth and leaf biomass yield of stevia and post-harvest fertility status
of soil. J. Bangladesh Agri. Univ. 13(2): 169-174.
