Effect of Soil Conditioner Based on Humic Acids HUMAC Agro on Soil and Yield and Sugar Content of Sugar Beet in Context of Selected Indicators of Agriculture System Sustainability

• Published in: Listy cukrovarnické a řepařské Vol. 131; no. 2; p. 53
• Main Authors: Tóth, Stefan, Rysak, Wojciech, Soltysová, Bozena, Karahuta, Jaroslav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Czech
• Published: Prague VUC Praha, a.s 01.02.2015
• Subjects: Air temperature; Climatic conditions; Crop yield; Decomposing organic matter; Farming systems; Harvesting; Humic acids; Humus; Leaching; Nutrient content; Nutrient uptake; Soil conditioners; Soil nutrients; Soil properties; Sugar
• ISSN: 1210-3306; 1805-9708

This work evaluates the results of direct effect of HUMAC Agro on yield and sugar content of sugar beet as well as on selected soil properties in a field trial established in soil-climatic conditions of south Poland in 2013 (vegetation season: average air temperature 16.0 °C, total precipitations 261 mm). Soil conditioner HUMAC Agro was applied to middle heavy pseudopodzolic soil in early spring of 2013 in two dosages: 500 kg/ha in case of Variant 1 (V1) and 250 kg/ha in case of Variant 2 (V2); it was not applied in case of Variant 3 (V3). Nitrogen fertilization according to Variants: 60.3 kg/ha N for V1, 94.8 kg/ha N for both V2 and V3. Doses of phosphorus, potassium and sulphur were the same for all Variants. V1 achieved the highest sugar beet yield 95.97 t/ha with sugar content 18.12 % which meant the highest sugar yield 17.39 t/ha (+29.6 % more than control treatment). V2 achieved sugar beet yield 86.39 t/ha with the lowest sugar content 17.65 % and sugar yield 15.25 t/ha (+13.6 % more than control treatment). The control treatment achieved the lowest sugar beet yield 72.81 t/ha with the highest sugar content 18.43 % and the lowest sugar yield 13.42 t/ha. Soil conditioner HUMAC Agro also influenced soil properties. After the application of 500 kg/ha HUMAC Agro the humus content in soil and its pH increased (due to buffering effect) as well as contents of the available forms of all observed nutrients (P, K, Mg, B, Mn, Cu, Zn and Fe) in spite of higher sugar beet yield and thus higher nutrient uptake compared to the control treatment. The mentioned soil properties increase applied also when compared to the state in the beginning. The higher humus content may be caused by the increased yields (besides the conditioner humic acids input), due to higher formation of root mass, which remains in the soil after harvesting the crop. Conversely, higher content of available forms of solved nutrients in the soil usually correlates with their lower consumption and lower harvest. Higher nutrient uptake by higher yields and higher soil nutrients content at the same time is a desirable effect of soil conditioners that prevent leaching of mobile nutrients and increase the accessibility of nutrients from their unavailable forms in the soil. The mentioned desirable effect is not obvious in any soil and climatic conditions, so it is therefore necessary to quantify the effect of soil conditioners on the soil properties by laboratory analyses especially to prevent a decline in nutrients due to increased yields. The values of monitored soil parameters for the control variant compared to their initial state showed decrease with the exception of Mn and Fe contents.