Agronomic performance of beet cultivars under soil cover and growing seasons

Abstract

Researching agricultural crops not traditionally cultivated in Acre is important to stimulate the diversification of production in family and organic agriculture. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of beet cultivars in an organic system, under different soil coverings and planting times in Rio Branco, Acre. For evaluation, three experiments were installed at different times of the year. All installed in a randomized block design, in a 3 x 7 subdivided plot scheme. The plots were formed by three types of cover: mulch, mulching and bare soil. And in the subplots, beet cultivars were arranged: Chata do Egito; Early Wonder Tall Top; Itapuã 202; Wonderful; Katrina; Long red; and the Merlot Hybrid. In the first experiment there was no commercial production. In experiment 2, the use of soil cover provided greater organic commercial productivity (5,316.43 kg ha^-1). And in the third crop there was no commercial production, and there was also no total production in the soil covered with mulching. Thus, there is no adequate commercial productivity of any beet cultivar in the evaluated periods. The mulch increases the mass and productivity of beet in both seasons.