EFFECT OF FOLIAR FERTILIZATION WITH MARINE CALCITE ON MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SUGAR BEET

The effect of marine calcite foliar fertilization on the sugar beet root morphological features relative to the control (variant 0) was investigated. Study was conducted in 2011-2012 in Sahryn (50 degrees 41' N and 23 degrees 46' E). Two variants of foliar fertilization were used: 1) variant (in the stage of 4-6 sugar leaf - 262.0 g ha(-1) Ca, 79.9 g ha(-1) Si, and three weeks later - 524.0 g ha(-1) Ca, 159.8 g ha(-1) Si); and 2) variant (in the stage of 4-6 sugar leaf - 524.0 g ha(-1) Ca, 159.8 g ha(-1) Si, three weeks later - 524.0 g ha(-1) Ca, 159.8 g ha(-1) Si). Marine calcite fertilization resulted in increase tendency of: dry mass of lamina, petiole, root, and whole plant as well as number and surface area of lamina compared with the control variant. Root yield was significantly correlated with dry mass of petioles and their share in dry mass of plant and negatively with the share of root dry mass in dry mass of plant. At the same time a significant positive correlation of technological and biological sugar yield, with share of petioles dry mass in the total dry mass of whole plant and negative correlation with share of root dry mass in total dry mass of plant.