A sugar beet is a plant that is grown commercially for sugar production and has a high concentration of sucrose in its root. The Altissima cultiva group of the common beet is known in plant breeding (Betavulgaris). It belongs to the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris, along with other beet cultivars like beetroot and chard. The sea beet is its closest wild relative (Beta vulgaris subsp. Maritima).
The sugar beet has a flat crown and a conical, white, fleshy root (a taproot). The root and a rosette of leaves make up the plant. Photosynthesis produces sugar in the leaves, which is ultimately stored in the root.
The beet root is 75 percent water, 20 percent sugar (or 18 percent sugar), and 5 percent pulp. Depending on the cultivar and growth conditions, the sugar concentration might range from 12 percent to 21 percent. Sugar beet is primarily used as a commercial crop because of its high sugar content. Animal feed is made from the pulp, which is insoluble in water and mostly made up of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin. The sugar beet crop’s byproducts, such as pulp and molasses, boost the harvest’s value by additional 10%.
Sugar beets are only found in the temperate zone, but sugarcane is only found in the tropical and subtropical zones. A sugar beet’s average weight is between 0.5 and 1 kilogram (1.1 and 2.2 lb). Sugar beet foliage has a deep, vivid green tint that grows to around 35 cm in height (14 in). The broad, many leaves grow in a tuft from the beet’s crown, which is normally level with or just above the ground surface.
A BRIEF AGRICULTURAL IMPORTANCE
Sugar beets play a significant role in crop rotation.
Sugar beet plants are prone to Rhizomania (also known as “root crazy”), a disease that causes the bulbous tap root to split into many little roots, rendering the crop unprocessable. In Europe, strict measures are in place to limit the spread of the virus, but it is already present in some locations. It’s also susceptible to beet yellows virus and beet leaf curl virus, which causes crinkling and stunting of the leaves.
Continuous research is being conducted to find cultivars that have both resistance and enhanced sugar output. Sugar beet breeding research is primarily conducted in the United States at various USDA Agricultural Research Stations, including one in Fort Collins, Colorado, led by Linda Hanson and Leonard Panella; one in Fargo, North Dakota, led by John Wieland; and one in East Lansing, Michigan, led by Rachel Naegele.
Sorting Beta names at MMPND is a reference. Archived at the Wayback Machine on 2013-05-04
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