Sugar beet

Sugar beet, (Beta vulgaris), one of the four cultivated forms of the plant Beta vulgaris of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae), cultivated as a source of sugar. Sugar beet juice contains high levels of sucrose and is second only to sugarcane as the major source of the world’s sugar. For information on the processing of beet sugar and the history of its use, see sugar.

The sugar beet was grown as a garden vegetable and for fodder long before it was valued for its sugar content. Sugar was produced experimentally from beets in Germany in 1747 by chemist Andreas Marggraf, but the first beet sugar factory was built in 1802 in Silesia (now in Poland). Napoleon became interested in the process in 1811 because a British blockade had cut off the French Empire’s raw cane sugar supply from the West Indies. Under his influence, 40 beet sugar factories were established in France. Although the industry temporarily collapsed after Napoleon’s fall, it recovered in the 1840s. Beet sugar production then increased rapidly throughout Europe, and by 1880 the tonnage had overtaken that of cane sugar. Beet sugar now accounts for almost all sugar production in the European Union and for about one-fifth of total world production.

Culture

The sugar beet has long been grown as a summer crop in relatively cool parts of the temperate zones of the world. More recently it has been grown as a winter crop in the warm regions of the temperate zones, including parts of South America, Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. The growing period from sowing to harvesting is 170–200 days. A good yield of sugar beet roots is obtained when the climate has been mild throughout the growing period, and a suitable sucrose content is secured when the last period of growth has been cold. In the case of a winter crop, the ripening period occurs in the spring and is promoted by withholding water to the beet. Sugar beets require a well-distributed precipitation of about 610 mm (24 inches), and the crop must be irrigated if precipitation is deficient.

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Sugar beets are grown from seed and can be sown in various soils ranging from sandy loam to heavy clay. The seedbed is prepared by deep plowing after the preceding crop is harvested. An ideal soil is loam rich in humus, deep and homogeneous, having appropriate adhesion and mild moisture-holding capacity. Before sowing, the seeds are treated with disinfectants for black root disease.

On industrial farms, precision drills sow seeds at a depth of 2 to 4 cm (0.75 to 1.5 inches) and spaced 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches) apart; rows are typically 50 to 56 cm (20 to 22 inches) apart. Fertilizers are applied simultaneously with the seeds, and, after covering, herbicides are applied by spray. The germination of the seeds occurs about 10 days after sowing.

Fertilizers are applied to sugar beets from the beginning of sowing through the entire growth period. Nitrogen fertilizer increases the weight of sugar beet roots but delays ripening. Potash is well absorbed by sugar beets, increasing the root weight, but, again, if too much potash is absorbed, ripening is slowed down, and magnesium deficiency can occur. The absorption of phosphate is less than that of nitrogen and potash, but it increases sugar beet root weight and accelerates ripening.

A mature sugar beet root can grow to 1–2 kg (2.2–4.4 pounds) and can contain 8–22 percent sucrose by weight. Sugar beet harvesting usually starts in late September or early October for summer crops and is performed rapidly so as to finish before the soil freezes. There are two methods of commercial harvesting: in the Pommritzer method the topping and the lifting of the roots are performed by two separate machines, and in the other method the two operations are carried out by one machine. Sugar beet crops are typically rotated with corn (maize) or wheat every four to six years in order to lessen the damage caused by Rhizoctonia root rot or sugar beet nematodes (Heterodera schachtii).

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Diseases and pests

The sugar beet plant is subject to many diseases and insect pests. Black root rot, a fungus disease characterized by lesions in the stem near the soil surface, and Cercospora leaf spot, a fungus infection in which the leaves become greenish yellow and root weight and sugar content are reduced, are most serious and can cause great damage if not controlled. Precautions must also be taken against damage by worms, beetles, and nematodes.

Breeding

Disease-resistant sugar beets of higher sucrose content and heavier root weight are constantly sought. Sugar beets are cross-pollinated plants, and most commercial varieties are hybrids. Superior polyploid varieties (having multiple sets of chromosomes) have been developed. In the United States and other countries, most commercial sugar beets have been genetically modified for resistance to the herbicide glyphosate.