Effect of Intercropping Sunflower Cultivars and Defoliation Time on Sugar Beet Yield and Quality

Abstract

A field trial was carried out during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons at Itay El-Baroud, Research Station, El Behaira Governorate, Field Crop Research Institute, to study the effect of intercropping 25% plant density of sunflower (Sakha 53, Giza 102 and Giza 120) with sugar beet and four treatments of 50% defoliation for sunflower cultivars as follow at flowering stage (L1), 15 days after flowering stage (L2), 30 days after flowering stage (L3) and without defoliation leaves (L4), on sugar beet and sunflower. Results showed that when sowing sunflower Giza 102 with sugar beet in both seasons, yield, its components, and quality of sugar beet recorded the greatest values. The greatest values were obtained for all sugar beetroot character traits during the defoliation treatment (L1) in both seasons. The interaction between sunflower Giza 102 and (L1) produced the highest values for root length, root diameter, and root yield/fed in one season and TSS% in both seasons. The greatest values for all sunflower characters were found in Giza 120. The defoliation treatment (L4) had the greatest values across all sunflower character traits across both seasons. The highest values on sunflower characters were recorded in interactions between Giza 120 and (L4) over both seasons.. The Giza 102 and (L1) defoliation treatments with sugar beetroot plantings in seasons, respectively, produced the greatest LER values (1.23 and 1.31). When sugar beet root and sunflower Giza 102was intercropped with (L1) defoliation treatment in both seasons, the increases in net return were 22855.10 and 27256.59 L.E., respectively.