What are the causes of low sugar beet yields? The latest analysis is here

Sugar beet is another source of sugar besides sugarcane, with relatively high economic value, but due to inadequate cultivation techniques, sugar beet yields cannot be raised, and cultivation problems have now become the main factor restricting the development of sugar beet. So what are the causes of low sugar beet yields? How should they be solved? Let us learn about them together.

1. Continuous cropping on the same land

Sugar beet generally has the problem of a short number of years, and many farmers often adopt continuous cropping, which causes soil nutrients and moisture to be continuously depleted, resulting in soil compaction and poor sugar beet growth. Generally, after 2-3 years of continuous cropping, sugar beet yields decrease by about 20%-35%.

Solution: For this situation, crop rotation should be carried out reasonably, with a rotation branch of more than 6-7 years implemented, and continuous cropping on the same land should be eliminated. At the same time, note that sugar beet is relatively sensitive to herbicides, which can also lead to yield reduction accidents, so when using herbicides, try not to use those with high residues.

2. Insufficient fertilization

Sugar beet is a crop with a high fertilizer requirement. During planting, scientific and reasonable fertilization is needed to obtain high yields. However, due to a lack of planting knowledge, many farmers mostly apply a small amount of farmyard manure and do not apply chemical fertilizer or apply only a small amount, so sugar beet does not have sufficient nutrients to grow, resulting in low yields.

Solution: For this situation, fertilizer sources should be broadened, and more organic fertilizer should be applied, which can promote the expansion of sugar beet root tubers and also alleviate pesticide damage, achieving the effect of increasing yield and income. During the sugar beet growth period, chemical fertilizer should be applied scientifically and reasonably, mainly phosphate fertilizer, supplemented by nitrogen. Generally, during the growth period, topdressing should be done 2-3 times, each time 10-15 kg per mu, diammonium phosphate 20-30 kg, and potassium sulfate 8-10 kg.

3. Planting too sparsely

The yield per unit area of sugar beet is composed of the root weight of a single plant and the effective number of plants per unit area. If the weight of a single plant is high but the population is small, its yield will also be relatively low. Farmers in many areas have the habit of sparse planting, generally controlling plant spacing and row spacing at 30×70 cm or 40×70 cm, which leads to low sugar beet yields.

Solution: For this situation, appropriate close planting should be carried out, narrowing plant spacing and increasing the total number of plants. Generally, plant spacing and row spacing should be controlled between 20×60 cm or 30×65 cm.

4. Pests and diseases

In recent years, sugar beet pests and diseases have become increasingly serious. Some farmers do not pay attention to sugar beet pests and diseases or are helpless against them, and do not control them in time when they occur, causing pests and diseases to become more and more serious. Some sugar beet are almost completely eaten by pests, causing yields to decline significantly. According to surveys, after sugar beet is infected with brown spot disease and root rot, yields generally decrease by about 20%.

Solution: Attention should be paid to the prevention and control of sugar beet pests and diseases, focusing on the prevention and control of cutworms, root rot, and brown spot disease. Cutworms can also be controlled with phoxim, brown spot disease can be controlled with thiophanate-methyl, and root rot can be controlled by drenching roots with carbendazim or chlorothalonil.

The above is an introduction to the causes of low sugar beet yields. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.