Effect of Climatic Conditions and Irrigation on Sugar beet Production in Serbia and Montenegro

1
Effect of Climatic Conditions and Irrigation on
Sugar beet Production in Serbia and
Montenegro Dr. Livija Maksimovic, Prof. Dr.
Svetimir Dragovic Institute of Field and
Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia and
Montenegro
2
INTRODUCTION
The sugarbeet is the main raw material for the
sugar industry of Serbia and Montenegro. In the
Vojvodina Province, sugarbeets are grown at
80-100 000 ha and are processed by 11 refineries.
Because of the insufficient amount and
unfavorable distribution of rainfall during the
growing season, resulting sugarbeet yield losses
that are often as high as 50 and may reach as
much as 80 in extremely dry years.
We need high and stable yields each year, which
is not possible under natural water supply
conditions, so irrigation has to be used.
3
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The effect of irrigation on sugarbeet yield
performance are regularly monitored on a loamy
soil with favorable water-physical and chemical
properties
At experiment fields of Institute of Field and
Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad.
This paper reviews the results of a 38-year
experiment (1966-2003) on rainfall amounts and
distribution during the growing season, plant
water requirements, yields with and without
irrigation and the effects of irrigation on
sugarbeet yields.
4
RESULTS
The values established for the period 1966-2003
indicate that the average sugarbeet water
requirement (ETP) was 578 mm.
Potential evapotranspiration of sugarbeet
changes with stage of plant development - 78 mm
in May (15 of the total requirement), -118 mm
in June (22) -139 mm in July (27), -129 mm in
August (25) - 60 mm in September (11).
The actual consumption, of water was 398 mm.
The yearly average water deficit, was in this
period 185 mm, ranging annually from 28 in 1991
to 427 in 2000.
5
- Water balance of sugarbeet in the location of
Novi Sad (1966-2003)
ETP - potential evapotranspiration, R - rainfall
(IV-IX), ETR - real evapotranspiration
6
Table 1 - Water balance of sugarbeet in the
location of Novi Sad (1966-2003)
- Water balance of sugarbeet in the location of
Novi Sad (1966-2003)
ETP - potential evapotranspiration, R - rainfall
(IV-IX), ETR - real evapotranspiration
Water deficit was especially high in July and
August, when the average shortage in rainfall
reached 131 mm, with the annual variations from 0
to 282 mm.
7
Average sugar beet yields in trial with and
without irrigation conducted at Novi Sad on a
loamy soil at the experiment field of Institute
of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad
Sugarbeet root yields witought irrigation depend
directly on the amount of growing season rainfall
and the amount of available water spent on
evapotranspiration.
8
In the trials conducted on a loamy soil over a
period of 38 years (1966-2003), the average yield
in irrigated conditions was 80.7 t ha-1, ranging
from 58.2 to 124.0, whereas in non-irrigated
conditions it was 60.9 t ha-1 and ranged between
33.2 and 93.7.
9
Sugar beet yields as affected by the sum of
precipitation and irrigation
Max 181
Min 4
Irrigation effects for the analyzing period were
37 (20 t ha-1) on average, varying from 4 in
1966 to highest effect (75,7 t ha-1) 181. The
extremely dry year was 2000, in which the water
deficit during the growing season was 427 mm.
10
Effect on irrigation relative to non-irrigated
condition
After a long period of research (almoust 40
years) conclusion is Natural precipitations are
not enough for high and stabile yields and for
that reason irrigation is nessesery for suger
beet production.
11
Thank you for attention!