This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Valdivia et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2025, 42(1): e254214
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Relationship of Ca in the plant and Ca in the soil
As in K, there was a tendency to increase Ca in plant, when Ca
increased in soil (Table 2). In six of the ten cultivars no signicant
statistical relationships were found (Maroc, Marina, Regina, Tribel,
HH 30 Hybrid, and Mono 4006). Regression coecients had lower
slopes than in the case of the previous element, meaning in the best
case (Magna) an increase of 27 kg.ha
-1
of Ca in plant by an increase
of 1000 kg.ha
-1
in soil. A signicant relationship was found in Magna
where there was an increase in Ca in total plant when Ca increased
in soil (R
2
= 0.71). A signicant relationship in Mono Hy6 where
increasing Ca in soil, Ca in roots increased (R
2
= 0.66). A signicant
relationship in Mono 3190, an increase in Ca in total plant when Ca
increased in soil (R
2
= 0.75), and a highly signicant relationship in
roots, when Ca increased in soil (R
2
= 0.90). In Mono HyD2 there
was a signicant relationship between the increase in Ca in roots with
the increase in soil (R
2
= 0.68). Lower extraction of Ca from soil
varied only between 16 and 59 kg.ha
-1
, much less than that extracted
by Hamrouni et al. (2011) found that the accumulation of Ca is not
modied by saline stress, coinciding with the present experiment,
where its content varied very little with its increase in soil, that is,
with salinity, which would demonstrate that this crop is not a more
ecient “improver” of them, than in saline soils with lower calcium
content. Likewise, in soils of the Peruvian coast, where there are high
contents of CaCO
3
, this nutrient is absorbed with low contents of
available Ca or with high, in relatively low quantities, so that they
will not be presented decits of this element, which is very important
for the crop (Hosseini et al., 2019).
There was more Ca in aerial part than in root, except in Marina,
Regina, and HH 30 Hybrid (Table 2), where contents were similar
in root and aerial part. Ca is clearly “included”; however, scientic
literature does not include Ca as an ion that can act to give crops
tolerance to salinity “including” it (Hadi and Karimi, 2012) although
it may be less absorbed if a lot of Na is absorbed by the plant in saline
soils (Haouala et al., 2007) or vice versa (Artyszak et al., 2014). In
this case, its eect of providing tolerance to salinity would not be
due to its “osmoticum”, or to its vacuolar compartment, but to its
protection of cell compounds (Hamrouni et al., 2011), or to its eect
on cell membranes or in transport and selectivity of ions, or in the
improvement of ion exchange (Hadi and Karimi, 2012); or by the
mechanisms that act giving resistance to the plant to drought (Hosseini
et al., 2019); those who would work in the aerial or underground part.
Relationship of Mg in the plant and Mg in the soil
Contrary to K and Ca, Mg did not increase in plant when Mg
increased in soil, and no signicant statistical correlations were found
in all cultivars (Table 2). There was a slight tendency to increase only
in Mono Hy6, Mono 4006. As with K and Ca, in soils with excessive
levels of Mg, there is no eciency as a crop “improver”. There was
not relationship between Ca and Mg in plant (only Regina total
signicant, leaves + crowns highly signicant; Tribel leaves + crowns
signicant) ratifying the relative low quantities of Ca absorbed even
if there are high contents of CaCO
3
. Mg extraction from soil varied
between 57 and 166 kg.ha
-1
, greater than that of Ca, but less than that
of K.
It was observed that the amount of Mg in the aerial part was
similar to that of the root, except in Marina, Regina, HH 30 Hybrid,
where the quantity was higher in the root than in the leaves + crowns.
Mg is not included or excluded, which indicates that it has no role in
tolerance to salts that sugar beet has, or to frost, since it is an element
that is not mentioned in the scientic literature for this purpose
(Reinsdorf et al., 2013), nor probably with drought resistance (El-
Sarag et al., 2013; Abbasi et al., 2018).
Relationship of Na in the plant and Na in the soil
There was a tendency to increase Na in plant when Na in soil
increased in Maroc, Marina, Magna, Mono Hy6, HH 30 Hybrid,
Mono 4006, with slopes similar to those of K (Table 2) ratifying the
importance of soil CaCO
3
improving soil structure and promoting K
and Na absorption. There was no such trend in the rest of cultivars,
where it was maintained or decreased. Signicant statistical
correlations were found only in Marina where the higher Na in soil,
the higher in root (R
2
= 0.79), in Magna highly signicant, when Na
in soil increased also did it in total plant (R
2
= 0.93) and in leaves+
crowns (R
2
= 0.94), and Mono 4006 the greater Na in soil, signicantly
more Na in total plant (R
2
= 0.70), and a greater amount of Na in soil
signicantly more Na in roots (R
2
= 0.70).
Extraction of Na by crop is very high, between 264 and 683
kg.ha
-1
, less than that of K, showing much greater variation than K,
with amounts greater than Mg, similar to those of K. There was no
increase of Na in plant with increase of Na in soil, indicating that
sugar beet did not act as an ecient “improver” of that nutrient, as
what happens with K, Ca, Mg. For greater tolerance to saline soils,
which often have Na in abundance, beet does not need to absorb
this element any more, indicating that although Na contributes to
resistance to salinity, drought, frost (El-Sarag et al., 2013; Abbasi et
al., 2018), its content in plant is independent of whether there is more
or less Na in soil.
Na content was higher in aerial part (leaves + crowns) than in
root in all cultivars (Table 2), despite the fact that roots weighed
considerably more than leaves + crowns (70 % of total roots, 30 %
leaves plus crowns). Its concentration was much higher in crowns +
leaves, where it ranged between 5.77 and 7.80 % than in roots (between
0.45 and 0.70 %). There is more absorption in the aerial part, having
“inclusion” of this element as a mechanism of tolerance to salinity
of soil, that is, it does not remain in root, but moves to aerial part, as
stated by Hamrouni et al. (2011) for the vine. This conrms that Na
is important for tolerance to salinity, drought, and frost (Reinsdorf et
al., 2013; El-Sarag et al., 2013; Abbasi et al., 2018).
Conclusions
Sugar beet, mono or multi-germ, in soils with levels greater than
5000, 25000, 7000, 8000 kg.ha
-1
of K, Ca, Mg, Na, did not absorb more
these elements if their quantity increased in soil, so it was not a more
ecient “improver” of soil, than in saline soils with lower contents
of those elements. K did not show more absorption in aerial part, did
not move to it (“inclusion”) nor did it stay in the root (“exclusion”)
as a mechanism of tolerance to salinity. Ca was “included” although
scientic literature does not include Ca as an ion that can act to give
tolerance to salinity “including” itself. Mg was neither included nor
excluded, indicating that it has no role in salt tolerance of beets. Na
showed more absorption in aerial part, there being no “exclusion”,
it did not remain in root, but moved to aerial part (“inclusion”), as a
mechanism of tolerance to soil salinity. Mono or multi-germ are not
dierent in “inclusion” properties of beet.
Literature cited
Abbasi, Z.; Golabadi, M.; Khayamim, S.; Pessarakli, M. 2018. The response of
drought-tolerance sugar beet to salinity stress under eld and controlled
environmental conditions. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 41, 2660-2672.
https://www.doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2018.1497174