ABSTRACT
No study has investigated the fertilization of beet with manganese (Mn) in the Brazilian semi-arid region. In this study, we evaluated the agronomic performance of manganese fertigated beet in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte. The experiments were conducted at Fazenda Experimental Rafael Fernandes in 2019 and 2021, and the study had a complete randomized block design with five treatments (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 kg ha-1 Mn) and four replications. The Mn content increased in foliar diagnosis with fertilization. The accumulation of dry mass and the number of leaves did not differ significantly as a function of the dose. The highest total (21.59 t ha-1) and commercial (20.55 t ha-1) yields of tuberous roots were obtained with 6 kg ha-1 Mn. The adverse effects of excess Mn were expressed in the lower total and commercial productivity of beet fertilized with more than 6 kg ha-1 Mn. The accumulation of Mn in the tuberous roots was not affected by fertilization. In the leaves and the whole plant, the maximum accumulation occurred when 12 kg ha-1 Mn was applied. Although Mn did not influence the content of soluble solids, the pH of the tuberous roots of plants fertilized with 6 kg ha-1 Mn decreased, and the dose with the highest total and commercial productivity had a lower content of soluble sugars. Our findings suggest that treatment with 6 kg ha-1 Mn is optimum for the beet crop.
Index terms:
Beta vulgaris L.; micronutrients; semi-arid.
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