Response of Beet Root Tubers to Gypsum, P Levels, Boron and Iron Sulphate in Salt-Affected Soils

Abstract

A field-experiment was conducted in salt-affected soils of Dodda Seebi tank command area of Tumkur district, Karnataka during rabi season of 2007 to study effect of gypsum, P level, borax and iron sulphate on beet root tuber yield and nutrient uptake. Treatments included two main-plot treatments, viz., M0: Control (without gypsum) and M1: gypsum application @ 9.0 t ha-1 and eight sub-plot treatments, viz., S1: Phosphorus @ 100 kg P2O5 ha-1, S2: Phosphorus @ 150 kg P2O5 ha-1, S3: S1 + Borax @ 5 kg ha-1, S4: S2 + Borax @ 5 kg ha-1, S5: S1 + FeSO5 @ 25 kg ha-1, S6: S2 + FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1, S7: S3 + FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1 and S8: S4 + FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1. Recommended N and K were applied to all treatments. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Beet root, a salt-tolerant crop, was sown for testing its performance in salt-affected soils. Significantly higher tuber yield of 12.70 t ha-1 was realized when the crop received gypsum @ 9.0 t ha-1 compared to control (7.73 t ha-1), besides higher nutrient uptake by the tubers. Among the nutrients, application of P at higher level (150 kg P2O5 ha-1) plus recommended NK along with borax and iron sulphate realized higher tuber yield (15.72 t ha-1) as well as nutrients uptake by tubers. Crop that received gypsum in combination with P at a higher level plus recommended NK, along with borax and iron sulphate, resulted in highest tuber yield (19.72 t ha-1) and nutrient uptake.

Keywords

• Salt-Affected Soil
• Beet Root
• Gypsum
• Tuber Yield
• Nutrient Uptake