Performance of tropical sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) as influenced by date of harvesting

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during November 2017 to April 2018 to study the effect of date of harvesting on the yield and quality of tropical sugar beet. The experiment comprised seven varieties viz. SV 889, SV 892, SV 893, SV 894, SZ 35, KWS Serenada and KWS Danicia and two dates of harvesting viz. 135 days after sowing (DAS) and 155 DAS. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Variety, date of harvesting and their interaction showed significant effect on crop characters, beet yield and juice quality of tropical sugar beet. The highest beet length (23.50 cm), individual beet weight (591.6 g) and beet yield (59.16 t ha^-1) were recorded in SV 894 while the highest brix (15.42%) was observed in SV 893. The lowest beet yield (40.25 t ha^-1) and brix (13.92%) were observed in KWS Danicia. In case of date of harvesting, the highest beet length (24.26 cm), beet girth (25.40 cm), individual beet weight (536.07 g) and beet yield (53.60 t ha^-1) were observed at 155 DAS harvest while the highest brix (14.66%) was recorded at 135 DAS harvest. In interaction, the highest beet length (25.67 cm), individual beet weight (681.2 g) and beet yield (68.12 t ha^-1) were recorded in SV 894 with 155 DAS harvest whereas the lowest beet yield (32.03 t ha^-1) was recorded in the interaction in KWS Danicia with 135 DAS harvest. From this study, it may be concluded that SV 894 appears as the promising variety that can be harvested at 155 DAS.