Effect of Seed Priming on Some Qualitative and Quantitative Traits of Two Sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) Cultivars

In order to study the effects of seed pre-treatment with potassium nitrate (KNO3), gibberellic acid (GA3) and hydro-priming on growth and yield of two sugarbeet cultivars, an experiment was conducted at Miyandoab Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station in 2009 growing season. The experimental design was a factorial based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Two sugarbeet cultivars (Jolgeh and 7233-P29) and priming treatments at five levels (P1: non-priming or control, P2: priming with 3% KNO3 solution, P3: priming with 200 mg/L GA3, P4: priming with 3% KNO3+ 200 mg/L GA3 and P5; hydro-priming) were considered. Root yield, shoot weight, impure sugar yield, pure sugar yield, impure sugar percent, pure sugar percent, coefficient of sugar extraction, alkality and molasses sugar content were measured and evaluated. Results showed that the effect of cultivar was significantly different for root yield, shoot weight and pure sugar yield. Also, priming treatment significantly affected root yield, pure sugar yield and impure sugar yield. But, the cultivar × priming interaction wasnt significant for none of the measured traits. Comparison of means showed that root weight and pure sugar content of 7233-P29 cultivar was 14% and shoot weight was 34% more than Jolgeh cultivar. Among the priming treatments, maximum root yield (63.2 ton/ha), impure sugar content (10.7 ton/ha) and pure sugar content (8.1 ton/ha) was obtained from hydro-priming treatment. Therefore, it seems that hydro-priming, as an easiest method of seed pretreatment, can be helpful in improving the qualitative and quantitative yield of sugarbeet.