Determination of optimal irrigation intervals in sugar beet seed production in Ardabil region

Sadeghzadeh Hemayati, S.; Taleghani, D.F.; Khodadadi, S.; Nikpanah, H.; Dehghanshoar, M.

doi:10.22092/jsb.2006.1661

Determination of optimal irrigation intervals in sugar beet seed production in Ardabil region

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

¹ Researcher of Sugar Beet Seed Institute, Karaj, Iran.

² Master Expert of Sugar Beet Seed Institute (SBSI) - Karaj, Iran.

³ Azad University of Tehran

⁴ Seed and Plant Certification Institute - Karaj, Iran.

10.22092/jsb.2006.1661

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the optimal irrigation intervals in sugar beet seed production fields and to evaluate the effects of irrigation at different growth stages of sugar beet seed bearing plants (Cv. SHIRIN) on seed qualitative and quantitative characteristics. The treatments were four irrigation intervals including a control (I₁) (irrigation at three stages; planting, bolting and flowering) and irrigation after 50(I₂), 70(I₃) and 90(I₄) mm evaporation from class A pan. The experiment was conducted in four replications in Ardabil Agricultural Research Station during 2002-2003. Total irrigation water volumes in I₁, I₂, I₃ and I₄ were 3332, 5121, 4419 and 3693 m³/ha in 2002 and 2940, 5397, 5280 and 3327 m³/ha in 2003 which were applied at 3, 7, 5 and 4 times in each year, respectively. During growth periods 510.3 and 471.7mm evaporation and 156 and 136 mm precipitation were recorded in 2002 and 2003, respectively. According to the results, decreasing of irrigation intervals or increasing of applied water were not effective on unprocessed, marketable (seeds with >3.5mm diameter) and standard (seeds with 3.5-4.5mm diameter) with kernel monogerm seed yield. The I₂ irrigation treatment decreased the portion of seeds with the diameter of >4.5mm by 41.45%. The increasing of water application decreased chaffy seed portion (11.40%) and increased with kernel seeds significantly (56.20%) in comparison of control (by 11.40 and 56.20%, respectively). Higher precipitation (156 mm) in 2002 led to significant decrease of unkernel seed rate by 5.28% and increased viable seeds by 15.75%. However, the standard viable seed yield at 2003 (1407.79 kg/ha) was significantly higher than that in 2002 (958.47 kg/ha).

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