Responses of the Sugar Beet to Low Soil Moisture at Two Levels of Nitrogen Nutrition¹

Abstract

Synopsis Moisture stress reduced vegetative growth and increased sucrose concentration (fresh basis) in the roots of sugar beet plants grown at high and low levels of N nutrition. Beet purity and sucrose yield were increased by N deficiency but not by moisture stress. Effects of the two factors were independent and additive. Changes in sucrose concentration are interpreted on an osmotic basis.