IMPACT OF SEED STIMULATION AND FOLIAR FERTILIZATION WITH MICROELEMENTS ON CHANGES IN THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SUGAR BEET

The experiment was carried out in 2011-2013, under the climatic conditions of the Silesian Lowlands. It was set up in a split-plot design with three replications. The purpose was to analyse the effect of foliar fertilization with iron, copper, manganese on sugar beet plants grown from natural, standard seeds and from seeds conditioned through priming. Each year, seeds of sugar beet were sown between 10th and 20th of April, and harvested around 20th of October. The density of plants ranged from 95 to 98 thousand of specimens per ha and did not depend on the factors analysed throughout the experiment. Plants were fertilized with microelements in BBCH phases 15 and 18, and the content of N, P, K, Mg and Na was analysed in roots and leaves in BBCH phases 28, 35, 41 and 46. During BBCH phase 49, i.e. the phase of full maturity, the yield of sugar and some technological root quality characteristics, such as the content of sucrose, alpha-amino nitrogen and potassium and sodium cations, were analysed. Foliar fertilization with microelements such as iron, copper and manganese, and the stimulation of seeds by priming changed the level of concentration of nitrogen and mineral macro components of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sodium during the vegetation season in the roots and leaves. In BBCH stages 28 and 35, plants grown from the primed seeds had a higher content of nitrogen, potassium, sodium and magnesium in leaves, and higher content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in roots. Foliar fertilization with these trace elements in interaction with the pre-sowing stimulation of seeds ( priming) had an impact on the chemical composition of the plant during the vegetation season, the content of sucrose in the roots, and plants' performance.