Effect of different sowing dates on root yield and sugar recovery of sugarbeet

The treatments included six sowing dates viz. 16th October, 1st November, 16th November, 1st December, 16th December and 1st January. The variety experimented was "Aura". The fertilizer application was done at the rate of 100-100-0 kg NPK per hectare, while a total of 8 irrigation were applied. Early sown sugarbeet on 16th October resulted significantly maximum plant population of 111157.50 plants per ha, followed by 1st November and 16th November sowing dates with mean plant population of 104705.50 and 93980.25 plants per ha, respectively. The sugarbeet crop sown on 1st December ranked fourth and resulted mean plant population of 86912.75 plants per ha, while 16th December sowing produced population of 78806.25 plants per ha. However, the lowest plant population of 75296.50 plant per ha was recorded in case when crop was sown on 1st January. Sugarbeet sown on 16th October and 1st November produced significantly maximum length of leaves of 59. 25 cm and 59.25 cm, followed by the crop sown on 16th November having 50.75 cm mean length of leaves. The length of leaves was further decreased with the delay in sowing and the mean length of leaves was 45.50 cm and 43.25 cm in plots where the sugarbeet was sown on 1st December and 16th December, respectively. However, the lowest length of leaves (42.25 cm) was recorded in plots, where the crop was sown on 1st January. The sowing of crop on 16th October and 1st November produced significantly greater number of leaves of 39.73 and 39.08 per plant, followed by the crop sown on 16th November having 32.87 per plant mean number of leaves. The number of leaves was further decreased with the delay in sowing and the mean number of leaves was 30.20 and 27.77 per plant in plots where the sugarbeet was sown on 1st December and 16th December, respectively. However, the lowest number of leaves (21.12 per plant) was recorded in plots, where the crop was sown on 1st January. The sugarbeet weight per plant was significantly higher (2.47 and 2.42 kg per plant) in plots sown on 16th October and 1st November, respectively. The sugarbeet weight per plant was reduced to 1.70 kg and 1.45 kg recorded in case of 16th November and 1st December sowing dates, respectively. The sugarbeet crop when sown on 16th December, it produced sugarbeet weight of 1.11kg per plant, while the lowest sugarbeet weight-of 1.02 kg per plant was recorded in plots sown late on 1st January. Beetroot yield was significantly higher (91.39 and 88.60 m.t per ha) in plots sown on 16th October and 1st November, respectively. The beetroot yield was reduced to 84.62 and 75.15 m.t per ha recorded in case of 16th November and 1st December sowing dates, respectively. The sugarbeet crop when sown on 16th December produced mean beetroot yield of 65.72 m.t per ha, while the lowest beetroot yield of 52.97 m.t per ha was recorded in plots sown late on 1st January. The early sown sugarbeet crop on 16th October produced significantly maximum brix of 22.11 percent, followed by 21.09 and 20.80 percent brix content in juice, observed from the plots sown on 1st November and 16th November, respectively. The sugarbeets planted on 1st December and 16th December produced mean brix content of 18.78 and 17.77 percentage, respectively. However, the lowest brix content of 17.64 percent was observed in the delayed sowing of 1st January. The sugar recovery was significantly superior (11.19 percent) in the crop sown on 16th October, followed by recovery percentages of 10.76 and 10.22 percent, observed from the plots sown on 1st November and 16th November, respectively. The sugarbeets planted on 1st December and 16th December produced recovery percentage of 9.36 and 8.71 percent, respectively. However, the minimum sugar recovery of 8.57 percent was observed in the delayed sowing of 1st January. It was noted that recovery percentage was deteriorated with delay in sowing and delay in sowing beyond s econd week of November resulted considerable reduction in the sugar recoveries.