Beetroot mineral composition affected by mineral and organic fertilization

In modern agriculture, besides providing high and stable yields, it is imperative to produce products with a high nutritive quality. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of different fertilization regimes on the macro- and micronutrients in beetroot. A 3-year field trial was set up according to a Latin square method with four types of fertilization (unfertilized control, 50 t stable manure ha(−1), and 500 and 1,000 kg NPK 5-20-30 ha(−1)). The mineral content was determined as follows (mg 100 g(−1) in fresh weight of beetroot): 14–29 P, 189–354 K, 18–34 Ca, 17–44 Mg, 0.67–1.83 Fe, 0.41–0.65 Mn and 0.28–0.44 Zn. The highest beetroot P content was determined for the treatment with stable manure, especially in a year with dry climatic conditions. The highest beetroot K content was determined for the treatment with 1,000 kg NPK 5-20-30 ha(−1), but at the same time for the same treatment, a general decreasing trend of micronutrient content was determined, due to the possible antagonistic effect of added potassium. For better mineral status of beetroot, application of combined mineral and organic fertilizers supplemented with additional foliar application of micronutrients can be suggested.