Sugar beet performance under newly reclaimed soils conditions of Sinai, Egypt.

The present investigation was carried out to study the effect of planting and harvesting time on yield and quality of sugar beet cultivars under North Sinai conditions. Two field experiments were conducted in a newly reclaimed sandy soil in a private farm at North Sinai region to study the effect of three sowing dates (1^st Aug., 1^st Sep. and 1^st Oct.) and three harvesting dates (170, 190 and 210 days after planting) on yield and quality of six sugar beet cultivars, viz.,Pamela, Hipoly2, Pleno, Monte Bianco, Oscar poly and Gloria. The results obtained from this study showed that sowing dates had significant effects on sucrose and purity per cent, as well as, root and sugar yields/fed in both seasons. The highest root and sugar yield were obtained from the 1^st Sept. sowing. Harvesting after 210 days from sowing recorded the highest root weight, sucrose and purity per cent as well as root and sugar yields/fed. Oscar poly variety recorded the highest root yield but, Monte Bianco cultivar surpassed all cultivars in sugar yield. The interaction between each two factors under study was insignificant. The response equation of root yield/fed to delaying harvest showed diminishing returns. The results revealed that a higher predicted root yield than that retained herein, could have been obtained if harvest was delayed beyond 210 days after sowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]