Assessment of Irrigation Needs in Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in Temperate Climate of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region (Poland)

Abstract

The primary purpose of this work was to assess the need for irrigation in sugar beet cultivated in the temperate climate of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region of Poland based on meteorological data from the period 1981–2010. The work was also aimed at determining the tendency of changes in the frequency and intensity of droughts during the period of high water needs for sugar beets (spanning July–August) and confirming the hypothesis that agricultural drought may be identified based on the indicator of meteorological drought—Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The occurrence of meteorological droughts amounted to 26.7–40.0%, depending on location. No significant trend of increasing dryness was found; however, quite the opposite, an upward tendency was identified, which indicates an improvement of precipitation conditions over time. It was found that sugar beet production in a temperate climate is carried out in the conditions of precipitation deficits, which amount to an average of 32–49 mm and a maximum of 112–173 mm in July–August, but the deficits showed neither significant nor targeted changes with time. A strong, significant relationship between meteorological (SPI) and agricultural (Pdef) drought indicators allows for a determination of sugar beet irrigation needs solely based on information on normalized precipitation values (SPI).

Impact of Irrigation and Fertigation on the Yield and Quality of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in a Moderate Climate

“…Optimal precipitation for sugar beet was determined for medium soil in the successive months of the growing season based on the method proposed by Klatt (Table S1) For each 1 • C above or below mean monthly air temperature determined by Klatt, 5 mm of precipitation was added or subtracted, respectively. A comparison of actual precipitation and calculated optimal precipitation for sugar beet production showed that the multi-annual precipitation deficiency during the period of high water needs was on average 43 mm [42]. Figure 2 shows that in the consecutive growing seasons of 2016 and 2017, precipitation was excessive for sugar beet requirements and amounted to 24 and 76 mm, respectively.…”

Exploring fibrous ingredients for fish: The case of feeding sugar beet pulp to tambaquí (Colossoma macropomum)

“…Sugar beet is mainly cultivated in moderate to temperate agro-ecology of the globe covering about 7.5 million hectares with an annual production of 225 million tons and about 20 % of the total sugar production [ 10 ]. It accounts for almost all sugar production in Europe in that about 108 million tons of sugar beet roots are produced annually out of which about 20 million tons of extracted sugar beet pulp is generated [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Spring Precipitation Deficiency in Poland and Its Temporal and Spatial Variability in the Context of Agricultural Needs

“…The effect of precipitation on Poland's agriculture is significant due to its type and characteristics, i.e., intensity, variability, temporal and spatial distribution and an ambiguous trend [23]. Precipitation in Poland, although it is one of the lowest in Europe, not only supplies soil with water but also exacerbates increasingly frequent post-winter shortages of water in soil, which determine the amount of field production of various groups of crops [24][25][26][27]. This dependence is strengthened by Poland's poorly developed irrigation system, which covers only 0.55% of its agricultural land [28].…”