Effect of Deficit Irrigation by Both Ordinary and Alternative Tape and Furrow Methods on Yield of Sugar Beet

Based on the sugar beet high value and due to prolongation of growth period and relatively high water requirement، irrigation of sugar beet with new methods such as ordinary and alternative tape and furrow irrigation is of great importance. This study was conducted with three and two treatments for tape and furrow irrigation، respectively. In each treatment، there were four rows of crops. The plots were irrigated as ordinary، and alternative methods of tape and furrow irrigation and providing 70 and 100 percent of plant water requirement. The rate of water use، white sugar content، gross sugar content، sugar beet yield (root)، white sugar yield، WUE of root yield، white sugar yield and WUE of gross sugar yield were compared in all treatments. The lowest and highest rates of water use were observed in the alternative and the ordinary furrow irrigation، respectively. The highest root yield was also obtained from plots with ordinary furrow irrigation. The amount of water use in drip (Tape) irrigation was about 50% of furrow irrigation، while the WUE of root yield، WUE of white sugar yield and WUE of gross sugar yield in alternative irrigation treatment and 70% of plant water supply were highest and they were lowest in the ordinary furrow irrigation treatment. alternative furrow irrigation having 30% less water use than ordinary furrow irrigation caused 15% reduction in root yield، but water use efficiency in root yield in alternative furrow irrigation was more than that in ordinary furrow.