Sodium Chloride on Sugarbeet
Assess the response and need of sodium and chloride for sugar beet production in North Dakota.
IPNI-1996-USA-ND10
30 Mar 1997
1996 Annual Interpretive Summary
Sodium Chloride on Sugarbeet, 1996
Research in the UK has shown that sodium and potassium can substitute for one another as plant nutrients; however, both sodium and potassium are needed to some degree by the sugar beet crop. Sodium increases leaf area early in the growing season and improves the efficiency of leaves under conditions of moderate water stress. Under drier growing conditions, sodium may be responsible for increased root yield and sugar content. The detrimental effect of increased soil sodium levels is that sodium root impurities increase. This study was established in the fall of 1996 and utilizes three rates of sodium chloride at three locations in North Dakota. A slow release form of sodium chloride will also be included. Both fall and spring applications will be incorporated into the study. The data from this study will be analyzed to determine the effects of sodium on sugarbeet yield, sugar content, and root impurities. ND-10F