Abstract
Sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) is an essential industrial crop valued for its sugar production, especially in regions with limited water resources. Due to its lower water demands, sugar beet is favored over sugarcane in Egypt. We hypothesized that foliar application of potassium silicate (K₂SiO₃) would enhance sugar beet's physiological responses, yield, and water productivity under drought and saline conditions, offering an eco-friendly solution to optimize crop performance in semi-arid regions. This study aimed to (i) investigate the impact of foliar-applied K 2 SiO 3 on the physiological, biochemical, and anatomical traits of sugar beet under drought stress in saline soils, (ii) evaluate the effects of K 2 SiO 3 on agronomic traits, root and sugar yields, and water productivity under different irrigation regimes, and (iii) assess K 2 SiO 3 to mitigate the adverse effects of drought and salinity, enhancing sugar beet resilience and productivity. Field experiments were conducted over two winter seasons at Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt, to assess the impact of three irrigation regimes (DIR 0% , DIR 25% , DIR 50% ) and three foliar K₂SiO₃ concentrations (0, 10, 20 mmol L −1 ) on sugar beet (cv. Baraca) in a split-plot arrangement based on a randomized complete block design (in triplicates). Physiological parameters, such as leaf water content, membrane stability, chlorophyll fluorescence, osmolyte accumulation, and antioxidant enzyme activities, were measured. Agronomic traits, including root yield, white sugar yield, and crop water productivity (WPc), were also evaluated. In general, drought stress negatively impacted physio-biochemical and anatomical traits, nutrient uptake, growth, sugar yield, and quality of sugar beet. This was evidenced by the significantly ( P <0.05) increased levels of osmolytes and antioxidants (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), which indicated the plant’s defensive/adaptive responses to drought stress. However, K 2 SiO 3 effectively alleviated the adverse effects of deficit irrigation. Notably, the interaction of DIR 0% × KSi-20 resulted in the highest root yield (88.97 t ha −1 ) and sugar yield (14.43 t ha −1 ), while the highest WPc (24.48 kg m −3 ) was achieved in the DIR 50% × KSi-20 treatment. Foliar application of K₂SiO₃ effectively alleviates drought and salinity stress in sugar beet by improving physiological and biochemical traits. The treatment enhances photosynthetic efficiency, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant activity, and nutrient uptake, leading to improved crop yield and quality. This study highlights K₂SiO₃ as a cost-effective, eco-friendly strategy to enhance sugar beet resilience in arid and saline environments. Integrating K₂SiO₃ into crop management practices could contribute to sustainable sugar production, particularly in regions facing water scarcity and soil salinity challenges.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Drought negatively affected sugar beet physio-biochemical and anatomical traits and nutrient uptake.
- Taxon
- sugar beet
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0 - Treatment
- drought stresse0
- Outcome
- physio-biochemical and anatomical traits, nutrient uptakee0
- Direction
- negatively impactede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In general, drought stress negatively impacted physio-biochemical and anatomical traits, nutrient uptake, growth, sugar yield, and quality of sugar beet.”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought negatively affected sugar beet growth, sugar yield and quality.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- drought stresse0
- Outcome
- growth, sugar yield, and qualitye0
- Direction
- negatively impactede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In general, drought stress negatively impacted physio-biochemical and anatomical traits, nutrient uptake, growth, sugar yield, and quality of sugar beet.”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought significantly increased sugar beet osmolyte and antioxidant levels, interpreted as defensive or adaptive responses.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarist0
- Treatment
- drought stresse0
- Outcome
- levels of osmolytes and antioxidantse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- defensive/adaptive responsese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This was evidenced by the significantly ( P <0.05) increased levels of osmolytes and antioxidants (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), which indicated the plant’s defensive/adaptive responses to drought stress.”
t0“sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
K 2 SiO 3 alleviated adverse deficit irrigation effects.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarist0
- Treatment
- K 2 SiO 3e0
- Outcome
- adverse effects of deficit irrigatione0
- Direction
- alleviatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“However, K 2 SiO 3 effectively alleviated the adverse effects of deficit irrigation.”
t0“sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
DIR 0% × KSi-20 produced the highest root yield, 88.97 t ha −1.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarist0
- Treatment
- DIR 0% × KSi-20e0
- Outcome
- root yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 88.97 t ha −1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Notably, the interaction of DIR 0% × KSi-20 resulted in the highest root yield (88.97 t ha −1 ) and sugar yield (14.43 t ha −1 )”
t0“sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
DIR 0% × KSi-20 produced the highest sugar yield, 14.43 t ha −1.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarist0
- Treatment
- DIR 0% × KSi-20e0
- Outcome
- sugar yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 14.43 t ha −1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Notably, the interaction of DIR 0% × KSi-20 resulted in the highest root yield (88.97 t ha −1 ) and sugar yield (14.43 t ha −1 )”
t0“sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
DIR 50% × KSi-20 achieved the highest crop water productivity, 24.48 kg m −3.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarist0
- Treatment
- DIR 50% × KSi-20e0
- Outcome
- WPce0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 24.48 kg m −3e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while the highest WPc (24.48 kg m −3 ) was achieved in the DIR 50% × KSi-20 treatment.”
t0“sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium silicate enhances photosynthetic efficiency, osmolyte accumulation and antioxidant activity.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- Foliar application of K₂SiO₃e0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic efficiency, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant activitye1
- Direction
- enhancese1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar application of K₂SiO₃ effectively alleviates drought and salinity stress in sugar beet by improving physiological and biochemical traits.”
e1“The treatment enhances photosynthetic efficiency, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant activity, and nutrient uptake, leading to improved crop yield and quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium silicate enhances nutrient uptake and improves crop yield and quality.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise0
- Treatment
- Foliar application of K₂SiO₃e0
- Outcome
- nutrient uptakee1
- Direction
- enhancese1
- Qualifier
- leading to improved crop yield and qualitye1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar application of K₂SiO₃ effectively alleviates drought and salinity stress in sugar beet by improving physiological and biochemical traits.”
e1“The treatment enhances photosynthetic efficiency, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant activity, and nutrient uptake, leading to improved crop yield and quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose integrating potassium silicate into management to support sustainable sugar production under water scarcity and soil salinity.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarist0
- Outcome
- Integrating K₂SiO₃ into crop management practicese0
- Qualifier
- could contribute to sustainable sugar productione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Integrating K₂SiO₃ into crop management practices could contribute to sustainable sugar production, particularly in regions facing water scarcity and soil salinity challenges.”
t0“sugar beet”
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