Impact of foliar organic-mineral fertilizers on sugar beet biomass and yield in response to phosphorus and potassium levels

Sugar beet is a vital industrial crop for sugar production, but in the Zhetysu region, its yield is constrained by low soil fertility and suboptimal nutrient management. This study aimed to investigate the effects of foliar organic-mineral fertilization, combined with specific phosphorus and potassium rates, on biomass accumulation and root yield in irrigated gray soils. The goal was to identify the most effective fertilization schemes to maximize economic yield while improving overall crop productivity and reducing environmental impacts. The research was conducted over two agricultural years (2023-2024) in the Koksu district of the Zhetysu region Kazakhstan, on separate plots with three replications and four variants of foliar fertilizer application: urea, Amino Turbo bio-stimulant, Ruter AA organic-mineral fertilizer, and Geofert, with and without the application of calculated doses of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Foliar fertilizing was applied at two stages of sugar beet plant development: (1) during the formation of 4-6 leaves and (2) during the formation of 8-10 leaves. On average, over the two-years of study period, the most significant effect was observed when combining the main application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers with the foliar application of the Aminoturbo bio-stimulant, resulting in a yield capacity of 112.4 t/ha, which was 2.95 t/ ha higher than yield capacity obtained with traditional foliar application of urea. Geogumat fertilizer, containing microelements, microorganism strains, and humic acids, increased beet yield capacity by 37.35 t/ha compared to the control (968.35 t/ha), suggesting that foliar fertilizing of sugar beets can be a sustainable farming method capable of increasing crop yields on low-fertility light gray soils and can be recommended as part of fertilizer application protocols in beet-growing farms. © 2024, Gaurav Publications. All rights reserved.