Effects of essential oil applications on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris var. Saccharifera L.) field performance and sugar enzyme activities

This research aimed to determine the effects of essential oils of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), dill (Anethum graveolens L.), origanum (Origanum onites L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris var. saccharifera L.) field performance and sucrose enzymes. The research were conducted at Isparta University of Applied Sciences trial fields in 2018. Essential oils at 0, 100, 500 and 1000 ppm concantration were applied to plant leaves 2 times at intervals of 20 days, starting 2.5 months after plant emergence. Root yield, Cercospora leaf spot infection and biological acvtivity, leaf chlorophyll content, %brix, polar sugar content, glycine betaine content, alpha amino nitrogen content, raw sugar yield, purity and sucrose phosphate synthase, sucrose synthase and invertase enzyme activities were examined. Results showed that all essential oil applications have a significant effect on all parameters examined. Root yield, leaf chlorophyll content, polar sugar content, crude sugar yield, purity, glycine betaine content, sucrose phosphate synthes and sucrose synthes activity were significantly increased with essential oil applications. The highest root yields were observed at 100 ppm origanum (8565 kg / da) and 500 and 1000 ppm dill (8455 and 8492 kg/da, respectively) essential oil applications. In the research, 500 ppm cumin (19.2%) applications had the highest polar sugar content, 500 ppm cumin (1557 kg / da) and 500 and 1000 ppm dill (1552 and 1560 kg/da respectively) applications had the highest crude sugar yields. The content of glycine betaine increased significantly in all other applications except 1000 ppm origanum oil. In general, with the application of essential oils in sugar beet, root yield was increased by approximately 20%, polar sugar content by 11% and crude sugar yield by up to 28%. Essential oil applications showed up to 39% biological activity against leaf spot infection. Key Words: Essentail oil, Polar sugar, Sugar enzymes, Suger beet