Effect of Rate Urea and Ammonium Sulphate Nitrogen on Sugarbeet Yield and
Quality

Hawa I. M. Mohajir, Salaheldin A. Mukhtar* and Sami A. M. Hamid
Page No. 1-10

Two experiments were conducted in the seasons 2014/15 and 2015/16 in the Sugar Research
Center-Guneid farm, Sudan. The objective was to investigate the effect of two nitrogen fertilizer
carriers, namely ammonium sulphate and urea; with four nitrogen rates, viz: 0, 43 kg N ha-1, 86 kg
N ha-1 and 129 kg N ha-1 on sugarbeet yield and quality. Land of the farm was cracking heavy clay
soils (Vertisols) with low N and organic matter. Nitrogen Sugarbeet cultivar (Lenard) was sown in
ridges 80 cm apart, 15 cm between holes. Treatments were laid in a factorial arrangement
randomized complete block design with four replicates. Results revealed that there were no
significant or consistent differences between the two source of N in tuber and sugar yields for the
two seasons. Therefore, it is more economical to apply urea with its higher N content (46% N).
Tuber yield and yield components increased significantly with the increase of N rate. Maximum
tuber and sugar yields was obtained by 86 kg N/ ha rate in the first season. In the second season
rate of 129 kg N/ha obtained maximum tuber and sugar yields. Therefore, it is recommended to
apply 109.5 kg N/ha (100 kg urea/*feddan), an intermediate dose between the two significant rates
of this study N rates 86 and 129 kg /ha showed similar tuber and sugar yield. Sugarbeet quality was
high and in the second season 2015/16 was even better probably due to the lower winter
temperatures prevailed in the second season. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the sowing date of
sugarbeet crop in Sudan to make use of the warm weather for vegetative growth and the cooler
weather for sugar accumulation to end up in maximum tuber and sugar yield.
Key words: Urea, AS, sugarbeet, tuber yield, sugar yield.
*Note: Feddan= 4200 m2, a familiar land unit for the Sudanese farmer.