Abstract: To select an efficient super absorbent and improve sugarbeet survival rate and yield, the effect of different super absorbents on sugarbeet growth and yield was studied in both field and greenhouse in the semiarid region of northwest Hebei Province. Of the four super absorbents studied, TM-3005KM had an obvious promotional effect. The survival rate of sugarbeet in the TM-3005KM treatment was 7.22% higher than that of the control. At the end of the seedling stage, the physiological indexes of the plants treated with TM-3005KM were obviously higher than those subjected to the other treatments. Root fresh weight, root dry weight, stem+leaf fresh weight, and stem+leaf dry weight following TM-3005KM treatment were 27.83%, 38.46%, 65.21% and 59.15% higher than those of the control, respectively. The spectral curve of sugarbeet leaf chlorophyll content exhibited a single absorption peak that reached its maximum during the phyllome rapidgrowth stage. At all stages, the chlorophyll contents of super absorbent treatments were higher than that of the control, with the highest content observed in the TM-3005KM treatment. Changes in photosynthetic rate in all treatments followed a trend similar to that of the chlorophyll content. In sugarbeet leaves, proline content first increased, then declined, then rose again, and finally declined; at all stages, proline content was the lowest in TM-3005KM treatment and highest in the control. Compared with the other treatments, transfer of soluble sugar from leaves to roots occurred earlier and more stably in the treatment of TM-3005KM. The biomass, economic yield, and sugar refractive index values in the TM-3005KM treatment were respectively 50.08%, 47.53% and 2.10% higher than in the control. These results indicated that TM-3005KM was highly effective for enhancing the survival rate, seedling growth and drought resistance of sugarbeet, thereby contributing to increases in chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and yield.

Key words: sagittal otolith, age determination, Liza haematocheila, morphological characteristics, Yangtze Estuary.