The yield of sugar beet in relation to weather and length of growing season

Abstract

SummaryAn experiment at Sutton Bonington in 1971 tested the effects of sowing and harvesting dates on yield of sugar beet. Seed sown on 28 March germinated slowly in the cold soil and crop establishment was poor. From early April until the beginning of May the loss in yield of sugar consequent upon delaying sowing by 1 week was 0·4 t/ha. For later sowings the yield loss was greater. During the harvest period the rate of increase in sugar yield was the same for all sowings. Yields of crops sown and harvested on different dates were closely correlated withthe amount of solar radiation intercepted by the leaf canopy.