The effect of plant population and irrigation on sugar beet

Abstract

SUMMARY Four experiments are described in which the response of sugar beet to irrigation was measured over a range of approximately 30000–150000 plants per hectare, and one experiment where the effects of plant population and spatial arrangement were studied. The experiments were carried out on a sandy soil in the south-east of England and extended from 1960 to 1965. The response of sugar beet to irrigation was affected by plant density. It is suggested that some explanation for the modified responses may be provided by considering effects of plant population on (i) the rate at which the soil surface is covered by leaves, and (ii) effects on the volume of soil exploited for water.