Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an industrial crop, grown worldwide for sugar production. In Pakistan, sugar is mostly extracted from sugarcane, soil and environmental conditions are equally favorable for sugar beet cultivation. Beet sugar contents are higher than sugarcane sugar contents, which can be further increased by potassium (K) fertilization. Total K concentration is higher in Pakistani soils developed from mica minerals, but it does not represent plant available K for sustainable plant growth. A pot experiment was conducted in the wire-house of Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences at University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. K treatments were the following: no K (K₀), K application at 148 kg ha^–1 (K₁) and 296 kg ha^–1 (K₂). Irrigation levels were used as water sufficient at 60% water holding capacity and water deficient at 40% water holding capacity. The growth, yield and beet quality data were analyzed statistically using LSD. The results revealed that increase in the level of K fertilization at water sufficient level significantly increased plant growth, beet yield and industrial beet sugar content. The response of K fertilization under water deficient condition was also similar, however overall sugar production was less than that in water sufficient conditions. It is concluded from this study that K application could be used not only to enhance plant growth and beet yield but also enhance beet sugar content both under water-deficient as well as water-sufficient conditions.

Potential of seed priming treatments in improving the performance of early planted maize was evaluated against timely planting. Seeds of maize hybrid FH-810 were soaked in water (hydropriming), CaCl2 (2.2%, osmopriming), moringa leaf extracts (MLE 3.3%, osmopriming) and salicylic acid (SA, 50 mg L–1, hormonal priming) each for 18 h. Untreated and hydroprimed seeds were taken as control. Seeds primed with SA took less time in emergence and had high vigor in early planted maize. Amongst treatments, hormonal priming, reduced the electrical conductivity, increased the leaf relative and chlorophyll contents followed by osmopriming with CaCl2 at seedling stage. Likewise, plant height, grain rows and 1 000-grain weight, grain and biological yield and harvest index were also improved by seed priming; however hormonal priming and osmopriming with MLE were more effective in this regard. Improved yield performance by hormonal priming or osmopriming with MLE in early planting primarily owed to increased leaf area index, crop growth and net assimilation rates, and maintenance of green leaf area at maturity. In conclusion, osmopriming with MLE and hormonal priming with SA were the most economical treatments in improving productivity of early planted spring maize through stimulation of early seedling growth at low temperature.