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Seed-bed cultivations and sugar-beet seedling emergence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. J. Gummerson
Affiliation:
Broom's Barn Experimental Station, Higham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6NP

Summary

Experiments are described in which a range of seed beds was created in each of 5 years. The weather in these years produced wet, dry and capping seed-bed conditions. The time course of sugar-beet seedling emergence on each seed bed was recorded each year and the differences were considered in terms of soil physical characteristics: much of the year-to-year variation was accounted for by considering thermal time above 3 °C. The differences in emergence between seed beds were large only when conditions were dry, but in all years it was advantageous to level the seed bed in autumn or winter. Seed beds with a dense soil below the seed and fine aggregates above gave the most suitable conditions for rapid and successful emergence.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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