Sugarbeet Nutrient Management

Management practices which provide an adequate, but not excessive, supply of plant nutrients are essential for top yields of high quality sugarbeet in the High Plains. Yields of 22-28 tons per acre at 16 to 18 percent sugar can be attained most years with good management.

Soil testing is the foundation of nutrient management in sugarbeets. The goal of soil testing is to characterize the amount of nutrients in the soil prior to planting. Fertilizers can then be applied to ensure optimal nutritional conditions for the crop.

Proper nitrogen nutrition in sugarbeet production is crucial. Lack of nitrogen will result in significant reductions in root yields, while excess nitrogen will promote significant decreases in sucrose content of the root and excessive leaf growth.

Under most circumstances phosphorus is the second most limiting nutrient in sugarbeet production. Phosphorus is involved in energy transfer within the plant and aids in maintaining the structural integrity of the plant cell membranes.

Most soils of the High Plains are capable of supplying adequate potassium for maximum sugarbeet production. Potassium is important for the function of the stomata, pore-like openings of the plant leaves, through which transpiration of water and uptake of gaseous carbon dioxide occurs.