Inverkan av vattenhalten i såbotten för uppkomsten hos sockerbetor

Abstract: To sow at optimal moisture content in the seedbed is crucial for good germination and emergence. In reality this is very complex and a farmer needs to take multiple parameters into consideration, such as the upcoming weather, the soil’s sensitivity to compaction and variations within the field. The current size-rationalization in Swedish farming where fewer farmers cover larger areas is not favourable for de-termining the right place on the right time in order to accomplish sowing for an optimal crop emergence. This bachelor’s thesis will cover a brief literature review followed by an experi-ment in the laboratory where sugar beet seeds were sown in seedbeds prepared with different water contents in the bottom layer, to give a hint at what moisture content we get the greatest crop emergence. When the experiment was carried out indoors in two trials, little or no emergence was observed from the sown sugar beet seeds. When the seedbeds were placed outside during the third trial the seedbeds with 9 and 12 percent plant available water showed better emergence, but due to a heavy rainfall which might have struck the seedbeds it is not certain if the results are reliable. Previous research from outdoor experiments has shown that the preferred moisture content in the seedbeds basal layer should be between 8 and 12 percent plant available water.