Effect of NPK Fertilizer Levels on Yield and Quality of Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) in Acidic Soils

Abstract

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.), also known as garden beet, is a widely cultivated root vegetable valued for its edible foliage and fleshy roots. Productivity is strongly influenced by soil fertility management. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season (September–December 2023) at the Woodhouse Horticultural Research Station, Ooty, to evaluate the effect of different mineral fertilizer levels on the growth, yield, and quality of beetroot cultivated in acidic soils.  The study was laid out in a randomized block design with eight fertilizer treatments (T₁: N₀P₀K₀, T₂: N₁P₁K₂, T₃: N₁P₂K₂, T₄: N₂P₂K₀, T₅: N₂P₁K₁, T₆: N₃P₁K₁, T₇: N₂P₃K₂, T₈: N₃P₃K₂), each replicated three times. Data on root length, diameter, root‑to‑shoot ratio, fresh and dry root weight, yield per plot and per hectare, total soluble solids (TSS), and total sugars were recorded. Increasing nutrient levels significantly improved all measured parameters. Among the treatments, T₈ (N₃P₃K₂: 180 kg N ha-1, 240 kg P₂O₅ ha-1, 100 kg K₂O ha-1) produced the highest fresh root weight (135.5 g plant-1), dry weight (10 g plant-1), root diameter (21.97 cm), root yield (42.1 kg plot-1; 421.13 q ha-1), root‑to‑shoot ratio (3.98), TSS (19.96 °Brix), and total sugar (8.10%) all significantly superior (p < 0.05) to other treatments. . The control (T₁) consistently recorded the lowest values. These results demonstrate that balanced mineral fertilization, particularly T₈ and T₇, markedly enhances both yield and quality attributes of beetroot under temperate, acidic soil conditions.