INTEGRATION EFFECTS OF MULCHING AND BURNING WITH HOEING ON SUGAR BEET AND ASSOCIATED WEEDS.

Two field experiments were carried out during 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 winter seasons to evaluate the effect of some non-traditional methods for weed control which are being (mulching by rice straw and burning has been carried after ridging and directly before sowing) on growth, yield and juice quality as well as associated weeds of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, L.) grown in salinity soil condition at El-Serw Research Station. The most important results obtained could be summarized as follows: - All weed control treatments reduced significantly fresh weight (g/m2) of broad-leaf, grassy and total weeds growth which associated with sugar beet plants, dry weight and total of sugar beet weeds as compared to the unweeded check. - Two hoeing with mulching was the most effective on controlling weeds (91.1-92.2%) followed by one hoeing with mulching (85.9-86.5%) and burning with two hoeing (82.8-84.2%), respectively. - Application of two hoeing improved drastically the efficiency of the mulching and burning in controlling sugar beet weeds when compared with other treatments. - The results show that two hoeing with mulching resulted in good control of total weeds after 120 days from sowing (DAS). - All growth criteria i.e., plant height (cm), leaves number/plant, root/top ratio and root characters responded significantly to two hoeing with mulching followed by one hoeing with mulching and burning with two hoeing , respectively, as compared with the untreated treatment. - Concerning the effect of weed control methods treatments on yield components of sugar beet plants, corresponding data cleared that two hoeing with mulching gave the highest values of tops, roots, biological and sugar yields. - Application of hoeing with mulching or burning caused significant increases in values of juice quality parameters i.e., sucrose and purity % as compared with the untreated treatment. - Generally, it can be concluded that application of two or one hoeing with mulching of rice straw and burning with two hoeing were the recommended treatments for obtaining the highest growth, yield and juice quality of sugar beet plants as well as significant reduction in total weeds under salinity lands condition at El-Serw. This study suggest that non traditional weed control by mulching or burning can be used in compatible manner with mechanical hoeing in integrated weed strategy in sugar beet.