Use of liquid complex fertilizers and growth activators for additional fertilization of sugar beets

The investigations were carried out in the Experimental Station of the Lithuanian University of Agriculture in the period of 2003-2004. The attention was focused on the influence of additional foliar fertilization with growth activator 'penacp', liquid complex fertilizers 'Atgaiva-1', produced at Joint-Stock company 'ARVI', and growth regulator Stilit-123, synthesized at the department of Organic Chemistry of the Kaunas University of Technology, and their mixtures on the productivity of sugar beet variety 'Kassandra'. Exact field experiments were sown at the end of April with pneumatic seeding-machine at distances between rows - 50 cm and applying the seed norm of 1.4-1.5 s/u per hectare. Tillage and care of crops followed the requirements of sugar beet growing technology applied in Lithuania. Sugar beet seedlings were sprayed with solution of liquid complex fertilizers (40 l haE-1 diluted with 300 l haE-1 H2O), and solutions of 'penacp' - 100 ml haE-1 and Stilit-123 100 mg haE-1 in the phase of 5-6 real leaves. Results of the investigations showed that additional fertilization with solutions of growth stimulating complexes increased sugar beet yield and sugar content of roots. The highest yield was received in the variant where sprouts had been sprayed with liquid complex fertilizers 'Atgaiva-1'. Additional fertilization increased root-crop yield by 3.7 t ha-1 or 6%. Growth activators and their mixtures with complex fertilizers increased sugar beet yield by 2.5-3 t haE-1 or 4-5% on average. The highest sugar content of root crop was obtained having sprayed the sprouts with solution of Stilit-123. In this variant sugar content of sugar beets increased by 1% unit, the amount of white sugar - 1 t haE-1 or 12.6% in comparison with the control. Application of the mixture of Stilit-123 and Atgaiva-1 solutions increased sugar content of root-crops by 0.85% unit, the amount of white sugar - by 0.95 t haE-1 or 12% if compared with the control, in which sprouts had been sprayed with water.