Abstract:
Objectives Sugar beet is an important sugar crop, soil phosphorous (P) availability and phosphorous fertilization heavily affect the yield and quality of sugar beets. Therefore, we studied the abundance-deficiency index of soil available phosphorus (SAP) and the appropriate phosphorus application rates (APAR) for sugar beet in China.
Methods The literature was searched in China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, using key words “sugar beet”, “fertilization”, and “P”, then the literature containing sugar beet yield under without and with P application and SAP content were screened out, and a total of 104 group of data were obtained. A regression equation was established between the relative yield of sugar beet without P application (RY) and SAP content. Referring the “improved soil nutrient abundance-deficiency grading system”, the SAP was divided into 7 grades from high to low, and the RY of sugar beet at the criterial SAP levels of each grade were used to calculate the corresponding SAP using the regression equation, and a specific grading system for sugar beet was established thereby. Using the nutrient balance formula “difference between target yield requirement and soil fertility supply”, the APAR for sugar beets were calculated under different target yields and phosphorous fertilizer use efficiencies.
Results The RY of sugar beet (y) and the SAP content (x) in China exhibited the following relationship, y=14.169 Ln(x)+46.679. The SAP were divided into 7 levels from extremely high to very low for sugar beet, they were ≥44, 22−44, 11−22, 6−11, 3−6, 1.5−3 and <1.5 mg/kg, respectively. For achieving phosphorus use efficiency of 15%−35%, and the target yield of sugar beet 30−90 t/hm2, the corresponding P2O5 application rate under the seven abundance-deficiency grades of soil available P from extremely high to very low were 0, 13−90, 26−180, 39−270, 51−360, 64−450 and 77−540 kg/hm2, respectively.
Conclusions The regression equation between the RY and SAP content is reliable due to the big enough data sample number from the high quality experiment. A soil P abundance-deficiency grading system is established specific for sugar beet. Appropriate phosphorous application rates have been proposed for target yield and soil fertility.