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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Agricultural Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #205547
Title: Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization by Strip-Till Sugarbeet

Author
item Stevens, William - Bart
item Evans, Robert
item Iversen, William - Bill
item Jabro, Jalal - Jay

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2006
Publication Date: 11/12/2006
Citation: Stevens, W.B., Evans, R.G., Iversen, W.M., Jabro, J.D. 2006. Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization by Strip-Till Sugarbeet. In: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts, November 12-16, 2006, Indianapolis, IN. Poster.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Strip tillage (ST) has been used successfully with large seeded crops. Difficulties with seedbed preparation, fertilizer management, and weed control have inhibited its use for small seeded crops like sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.). A field study was initiated near Sidney, MT to research the applicability of ST for sugarbeet rotated with small grains. Objectives were to (i) compare the effect of tillage system [conventional tillage (CT) vs. ST] on sugarbeet yield and quality, and (ii) compare N uptake in a ST sugarbeet production system to that in a CT system. Treatments were randomly assigned to 15 m × 25 m sprinkler-irrigated plots. For ST, 30-cm strips spaced 60 cm apart were tilled in the fall into small grain straw residue using a modified parabolic shank strip tiller. Dry urea and monoammonium phosphate were banded about 8 cm below and 2.5 to 5.0 cm to the side of the seed row. With ST, multiple tillage operations were performed in the fall following the broadcast application of fertilizer. The same fertilizer materials and application rates were used in both ST and CT. Results suggest that root yield and sugar production are similar with the two tillage systems under typical conditions; however, root sucrose content has been higher with ST than with CT suggesting greater end-of-season N depletion with ST. Midseason petiole nitrate concentrations show that ST sugarbeet exhibits a delay in N absorption compared to CT sugarbeet. This effect may be due to differences in positional N availability. Information regarding spatial and temporal distribution of soil NO3-N in ST and CT will be presented.