Recycling of beet sugar byproducts and wastes enhances sugar beet productivity and salt redistribution in saline soils

Abstract

Soil salinity adversely affects the growth, yield, and quality parameters of sugar beet, leading to a reduction in root and sugar yields. Improving the physical and chemical properties of salt-affected soils is essential for sustainable cultivation and sugar beet production. A field experiment was conducted at the Delta Sugar Company Research Farm, El-Hamool, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt, to evaluate the response of sugar beet to the application of beet sugar filter cake treated with sulfuric and phosphoric acid-treated, phosphogypsum (PG), desaline, humic acid, and molasses under saline soil conditions. The application of treated filter cake enhanced root length, diameter, and leaf area. The application of molasses enhanced root length, diameter, and leaf area as well. Application of molasses increased sugar content and root yield. The application of either treated filter cake or molasses produced the highest recoverable sugar yield. Linear regression analysis revealed that the root yield, quality index, and recoverable sugar yield increased in response to the increased availability of either Ca²⁺ or K content in the soil which increases in response to the application of soil amendments and molasses. The application of treated beet sugar filter cake and molasses increased the calcium, magnesium, and potassium availability in the soil. Treated filter cake is a promising organic soil amendment that enhanced the yield by 29% and yield-related traits of sugar beet by improving the physical and chemical properties of the soil.

Keywords: Filter cake; Molasses; Soil amendments; Soil salinity; Sugar beet; Sugar yield.