The Growth of Sugarbeets As Influenced by Nitrogen Fertilizer On a Fargo Clay Soil

During 1970, the influence of nitrogen fertilizer on the yield and quality of sugar beets was studied on a Fargo clay soil in which sugar beets were considered likely to respond to nitrogen fertilizer. During the course of the work, information was collected concerning depth of rooting and moisture withdrawal patterns. The topic is the growth of sugar beets grown in clay soil of Fargo North Dakota that were treated with nitrogen fertilizers. The information available concerning the growth of dry land sugar beets in a semiarid area such as the Red River Valley in which prolonged periods without precipitation are frequently encountered was lacking at this time. It was determined that Nitrogen fertilizer increased the impurity index (an indication of lower quality) and decreased the percentage sucrose. Extreme care is needed in the use of nitrogen. The development of an effective leaf canopy earlier in the growing season was a partial cause of the beneficial effect of nitrogen fertilizer