Soil Loss due to Sugar Beet Harvesting in Northwestern Turkey

Abstract

The impact of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) harvesting on soil loss in high sugar beet-producing regions is not well understood. The objectives of this study were to (1) quantify soil loss due to sugar beet harvesting, (2) identify the potential factors influencing soil loss, and (3) estimate the cost of nutrients lost with soil due to sugar beet harvesting in northwestern Turkey. Sugar beet was harvested from three representative sites in northwestern Turkey. The amount of soil and nutrients lost as well as cost of nutrients lost was computed. Additionally, soil properties including water content, bulk density, particle-size distribution, and concentrations of organic matter, nutrients, and lime were measured at the time of sugar beet harvesting to study correlations with soil loss. The mean annual soil loss due to sugar beet harvesting was 1.63 Mg ha−1 harvest−1. The amount of nutrients lost with soil was 1.84 kg ha−1 for N, 0.019 kg ha−1 for P, and 0.91 kg ha−1 for K. Soil water content, particle-size distribution, bulk density, lime, organic matter, and yield explained about 68% of the total variation in soil loss due to sugar beet harvesting. The estimated cost of nutrients lost with soil was $1.57 ha−1 per sugar beet harvest. Results show that sugar beet harvesting causes significant losses of soil and nutrients in a high sugar beet-producing region in Turkey.