[The effect of micronutrients on yield and quality of sugar beet [under the conditions of southern Banat (Yugoslavia)]]

Investigation of the influence of micro-elements B, Mn and Zn on the yield and quality of sugar beet under specific conditions (southern Banat) was performed in a production farm. The soil was of smonitsa type, very poor in B and moderately supplied with Mn and Zn. Monofort and Carpo sugar beet varieties were used for the investigation. Wheat was the forecrop. The most notable increase of the yield was with fertilization with B. Fertilization with Mn in smaller and larger doses had similar influence to that of B, but it was less notable. Fertilization with Zn had the weakest influence on the yield of root. The most notable increase of the yield of root, compared with the control, was obtained with fertilization with all 3 micro-elements (dosed 10 kg/ha). In fertilization with combination of 2 elements, good effects were obtained with B and Mn (10 kg/ha), and the worst with Mn and Zn combination. Mn had the strongest influence, and Zn the lowest, on sugar content in the root, when using only one element. In combined fertilization of Monofort variety with 2 or 3 microelements, the best effect was obtained with 10 kg/ha dose. The weakest effect on both varieties was obtained using only 2 elements dosed 5 kg/ha. Fertilization had stronger effect in the year with higher precipitation. The lowest yield of sugar per unit of area was in the control. Of all investigated elements B had the strongest influence. Zn did not influence this yield in Monofort, while its influence was weak in Carpo variety. A notable increase of the yield was obtained using all 3 elements dosed 10 kg/ha. It was slightly lower using B-Mn combination, dosed 10 kg/ha, as well as using B and Mn separately, dosed 5 kg/ha. The lowest increase was obtained using Mn-Zn combination and there were no notable differences by varieties in separate years.