TILLAGE SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVED EMERGENCE AND YIELD OF SUGARBEETS

Eight tillage systems were compared during three growing seasons for emergence and yield of sugarbeets not irrigated for emergence. Systems included three currently used in Nebraska and the surrounding growing area, three used in other sugarbeet production regions of the United States, and two systems popular in Western Europe. Systems that used minimal operations in the spring and left a firm seedbed at seeding depth, provided most rapid emergence, highest final emergence, and highest yield. When favorable rainfall occurred within approximately one week of planting, there were few differences in sugarbeet emergence and yield among tillage systems. When rainfall did not occur soon after planting, differences in emergence and yield were more pronounced among tillage systems.