Abstract
Summary Despite much experimental evidence showing that sodium fertilizer increases sugar–beet yield and decreases need for potassium, there is resistance to its use on some soil types through fears of deterioration in soil structure. Twelve field experiments with sugar beet were made in Eastern England, testing all combinations of autumn and spring applications of 0, 150 and 300 kg Na/ha and 0, 83 and 333 kg K/ha. Fields were chosen with soils of loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam and clay loam textures. Micro–plot and controlled environment studies were also made with the same soils to examine effects of sodium on seedling emergence and growth. Visual assessments of soil physical state following sodium application revealed no effect in the year sugar beet was grown nor in the following spring when cereals were grown. Measurements of physical properties of soils treated with sodium suggested that applications of several times the recommended amounts of sodium fertilizer would not damage soil structure. However, sodium fertilizer increased the osmotic suction of soil solution which, under some circumstances, e.g. dry springs or giving the fertilizer close to the time of sowing, decreased germination and seedling growth. For this reason and not because it has a detrimental effect on soil physical condition, sodium fertilizer best given in the autumn or some weeks before sowing.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Sodium did not visibly affect soil physical state in the beet year.
- Taxon
- sugar beet
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0 - Treatment
- sodium applicatione0
- Outcome
- soil physical statee0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Visual assessments of soil physical state following sodium application revealed no effect in the year sugar beet was grown”
Claim · model-written summary
Sodium did not visibly affect soil state the following spring.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“nor in the following spring when cereals were grown.”
e1“Visual assessments of soil physical state following sodium application revealed no effect”
Claim · model-written summary
Several times the recommended sodium amount was judged unlikely to damage structure.
- Taxon
- sugar-beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarist0
- Outcome
- soil structuree0
- Qualifier
- several times the recommended amountse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“applications of several times the recommended amounts of sodium fertilizer would not damage soil structure.”
t0“sugar-beet”
Claim · model-written summary
Sodium fertilizer increased soil solution osmotic suction.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise1
- Treatment
- sodium fertilizere0
- Outcome
- osmotic suction of soil solutione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sodium fertilizer increased the osmotic suction of soil solution”
e1“Twelve field experiments with sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
In dry springs or near sowing, sodium reduced germination.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise1
- Treatment
- fertilizere0
- Outcome
- germinatione0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Qualifier
- dry springs or giving the fertilizer close to the time of sowinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dry springs or giving the fertilizer close to the time of sowing, decreased germination and seedling growth.”
e1“Twelve field experiments with sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
In dry springs or near sowing, sodium reduced seedling growth.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise1
- Treatment
- fertilizere0
- Outcome
- seedling growthe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dry springs or giving the fertilizer close to the time of sowing, decreased germination and seedling growth.”
e1“Twelve field experiments with sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
Sodium fertilizer is best applied in autumn or weeks before sowing.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise1
- Outcome
- best given in the autumn or some weeks before sowinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sodium fertilizer best given in the autumn or some weeks before sowing.”
e1“Twelve field experiments with sugar beet”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · growth · Beta vulgaris (beet)Positive and negative results
11 papers in the same direction as this paper · 97 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
- positive
105 papers more in this group
See all 109 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.