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Sugarbeet Yield and Quality in Relation to Residual Beef Feedlot Waste

USDA-ARS, Conserv. Prod. Res. Lab., Drawer 10, Bushland, TX 79012
Winter, Texas Agric. Exp. Stn., Bushland, TX 79012
USDA-ARS, Durant, OK 74720

^* Corresponding author.

Use of beef feedlot waste (FLW) in crop rotations including sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris L.) would provide a use for a surplus waste product. Objectives of this study were to assess the effects of FLW on soil chemical characteristics and on sugarbeet yield and quality. Amounts of FLW applied on Pullman clay loam (fine, mixed. thermic Torrertic Palleustoll) over a 16-yr period ranged from 0 to 1608 Mg ha^–1. Retention (of applied FLW drymatter (DM) as soil OM ranged from 14 to 2%, N (applied in DM) as total N from 47 to 5%, and P as NaHCO₃-extractable P from 18 to 8%. Retention depended on amount and irecency of application. Nitrifiable N, determined chemically, was closely associated with OM (r = 0.88), total N (r = 0.93), and with NO^–₃-N (r = 0.95). All treatments that had previously received FLW produced significantly higher sugarbeet root and sucrose yields than those that had received N, P, and B plus added N on the sugarbeet crop. Consequently, use of FLW in crop rotations including sugarbeets merits further study. Sucrose concentrations 'of the sugarbeets were inversely related while concentrations of Na, NO₃, and amino-N in the roots were directly related to soil NO^–₃-N and inversely related to sucrose. Nitrifiable N was closely associated with root yield, sucrose yield, sucrose concentration, nitrate grade, and amino-N. Nitrifiable N, as determined in this study, deserves furl her evaluation as an indicator of N supplying capacity of the soil.

Received for publication April 3, 1989.