Determination and Use of DRIS Norms for Evaluating Nutritional Status of Sugar beet in Western Azerbaijan Province

Diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) can be used as an efficient method to interpret the results of plant analysis and the nutritional needs of field and orchards crops. To determine the DRIS norms in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.)، leaf samples were collected from 57 fields and N، P، K، Ca، Mg، Fe، Mn، Zn، Cu and B concentrations in the leaves were measured. On the basis of yield amounts، the fields were divided into two groups of low and high yielding populations. Standard DRIS norms were established for the different nutrient ratios and also DRIS indices were calculated to evaluate nutrients balances and order of nutrients requirements. DRIS-derived sufficiency ranges in sugar beet leaves were 3. 0-5. 4، 0. 21-0. 47، 1. 7-3. 7، 0. 55-1. 6، 0. 19-0. 34 % for N، P، K، Ca، Mg and 24-168، 42-138، 10-19، 10-14، 9-20 mg/kg for Fe، Mn، Zn، Cu، B، respectively. The average of DRIS indices of priority based on the macro and micro nutrients as P>Cu>N>Zn>K>Ca>Mg>Fe>Mn>B was determined. The nutritional balance DRIS index of all fields with low yielding population was much more than zero، indicating an imbalance nutritional in low yielding fields.