CROP FACT SHEET
Sugar Beet

SUGAR BEET:
A major source of sugar.

Family: Chenopodiaceae (the goosefoot family).
Genus: Beta
Species: vulgaris>

The sugar beet is a herbaceous dicotyledon plant. Other plants that belong to the Chenopodiaceae family are such crops as red beet, mangelwurzels or mangel (close relative to the beet) and chard (leaf beet) and pigweed a major weed. Note: It is sometimes classified as B. saccharifera, no botanical justification.

HISTORY:

The sugar beet has been cultivated for thousands of years in one form or another as a sweets source. It came from what is known as the Mediterranean center of origin. Its potential as a source of sugar was not discovered until 1747. A German chemist, Andreus Marggraf, discovered the sugar in the beet was the same as the sugar in sugar cane. The first factory was built in 1799-1801 in Silesia. However it failed because the sugar content was too low. In effort to eliminate France's dependency on foreign sources, Napoleon directed a sugar beet to be developed. French agriculturists, Louis Vilmorin, selected beets by progeny test methods and raised the sugar from 7.5% to 16 or 17 %. By 1814, small factories were operating in France, Belgian Germany, and Austria. By 1880 sugar beets had practically as high a sugar percentage as today. The first attempt to produce sugar beets in the United States came in 1832 in Massachusetts, an effort that was not successful. Some forty years later, production of sugar beet was successfully started in California. Since the earliest days of successful production, growers have been dependent on processing companies, with respect to selling their crops. Usually a grower will not seed sugar beets until a binding contract with a processing company or cooperative has been negotiated.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The sugar beet is a biennial plant. It normally completes its vegetative cycle in two years. The first year it develops a large succulent root in which much reserve food is stored, thus, it is farmed as an annual. During the second year it produces flowers and seeds. Prolonged cool periods can cause the seed stalk to be present the first year, but strains have been selected to reduce bolting.

The beet "root" is divided into three regions: the top, which is a convex cone from which the leaves are borne in a dense spiral. The leaves are simple and fairly smooth in outline, with a blade and petiole. The neck (hypocotyl) is a narrow zone but the broadest part of the "root" and the fleshy root, which terminates in a taproot. There are vertical groves along the opposite sides of the root from which secondary roots arise.

Flowers typical of the goosefoot family are perfect, but incomplete. The caylx is five-parted, and the corolla is absent. There are five stamens and three styles leading to a compound pistil. Flowers are surrounded by leaf like bracts and are borne in a branched panicle like spike. The sugar beet has a typical aggregate fruit that yields a seedball with two or more viable seeds, or germs. The entire fruit is planted. Because two or more seeds, multiple seedlings would emerge and thinning (usually by hand) was necessary. Now a fruit with one seed has been developed, which allows for precision planting.

ENVIRONMENT:

Sugar beets are grown in the United States mainly in the western half. In Nebraska, they are grown mostly in the western part of the state. Since it is grown for sugar production, factors influencing the growth and development of the root are important. (Seed production has other requirements). The optimum soil temperature for sugar beet seed germination is about 60º F (15º C). For growth and sugar accumulation, a twenty-four hour average of 70º F (21º C) is desirable. Higher average temperatures, 90º F (32º C) retard sugar accumulation but favor growth. Thus, high temperatures for short periods may be favorable.

Irrigation is necessary in regions where the annual rainfall is less than 18 inches (46 cm) or where the rainfall is not distributed properly.

Light quantity is rarely a limiting factor for sugar accumulation. In adequate light will reduce plant growth. Sugar beets are classified as day-neutral for root development and long-day for seed production.

Sugar beets are best adapted to fertile, loamy soils with an acid to neutral pH (5.8-7.0). It is also tolerant of salts and can be grown in alkaline soils. Sandy soils do not hold adequate moisture and nutrients, and heavy soils cause problems in harvesting.

PRODUCTION PRACTICES:

Yields in Nebraska of 22-28 tons per acre at 16 to 18 percent sugars can be attained most years with good management. Sugar beets are grown in rotation with other crops mainly to control diseases and root-knot nematodes. Rotations include cereals, beans, corn, and forage legumes.

Fertilizer: A crop producing 25 tons/A of beets takes up 212 lb/A of N, 38 lbs/A P ₂0₅, and 458 lbs/A of K₂0.

Knowledge of soil type and nutrients that are available is necessary. Sugar beet plant can utilize N from depths of 6 feet or more. A soil test for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium is recommended. Sampling should be to a depth of 6 feet. Other nutrients specific to an area may be deficient and these would need to be applied.

The amount of N applied should be the proper amount to reach the projected tonnage and allow for sugar accumulation. Too much nitrogen will result in top growth and reduced sugar production. For recommendations, see NebGuide G 73-8, Fertilizing Sugar Beets.

Seedbed Preparation: Operations are to form a seedbed which will insure good soil-seed contact and meets the germination requirements of the seed for water, air, temperature. In western Nebraska, a cover crop production system can be used to protect the soil from wind erosion and protect the seedlings from being blasted by soil particles (see NebGuide G93-1146-A). Also, a good seedbed should be weed free.

Seed: Many varieties of seed are available commercially. Contact the sugar company or seed company representative for more information on varieties. Seed can be obtained either as regular seed (small, medium, large sizes) or pellets (mini, regular, jumbo sizes). Only sugar beet varieties approved by the sugar company and growers association can be planted.

Planting: It is very important to have you planter in excellent condition. Seed is planted 0.75 to 1.25 inches deep for maximum germination and emergence. Use shallow depths for earlier planting. It is helpful to use depth bands to insure a more uniform planting depth.

The planters working condition should be checked daily during planting. Suggested items to check:

1. the condition of hoppers, drives, and chains.
2. seed cutoff points to see that pawls fit seed plates properly.
3. make sure plates fit properly and filler plates are installed.
4. be sure disc furrow openers are clean and turn freely.
5. be sure depth bands are clean and properly adjusted.
6. seed ejection tubes for restrictions or blockage.
7. be sure row spacings are correct, equal, and row markers adjusted.
8. lubricate the drill properly.
9. clean seed hoppers daily.
10. match seed sizes and planter plates carefully.
11. test the planter on a hard surface to check the seed distribution pattern.

Time and rate of seeding.

Sugar beet should be planted in early to mid April when soil moisture and temperature conditions permit. The potential for very high yields from early plantings is better and generally worth the risk of frost damage >

Row width of 22 and 30 inches are used. Row widths of 22 inches result in the highest yields. Higher and more uniform plant populations are easier to establish. Plant beets 2.5 to 3.5 inches apart in 22-inch rows if they are to be thinned. A planting speed of about 3 miles per hour is recommended. A good sugar beet plant population at harvest should be near 35 000 uniformly spaced plants per acre. This is 8 inches between plants in the row. This population should produce very good yields of high quality sugar beets.

Weed Control:

Weed control starts with seedbed preparation. It is possible to cultivate for weed control in early spring and early summer. Herbicides can be applied to sugar beet no-till in rye or winter wheat, preplant incorporated, preemergence and postemergence. The herbicide used depends on the type of weeds present. The most common weeds in sugar beet fields are pigweed, nightshade, foxtails, lambsquarters, barnyard grass, and kochia. It is best to check the most recent Guide for Herbicide Use in Nebraska for selection of herbicides and application practices. This guide can be obtained from your Cooperative Extension Office.

Note: The Environmental Protection Agency must register the herbicides used for use on sugar beet. Sugar beet treated with a non-registered herbicide may have an illegal residue, which, if detected, could cause condemnation of the crop. Non-registered herbicide use is illegal and a user could be subject to a heavy fine even without detectable residue

Diseases and Insect Pests:

Insects: A variety of insects attack sugar beet. Most of the losses result from insects feeding on the foliage of mature plants, but sometime the entire seedling is eaten. Leading insect pests include sugar beet root magots, sugar beet root aphids, cut worms, beet armyworms, beet webworms, beet leafhoppers, and grasshoppers. The sugar beet cyst nematode and root-knot nematode that persists in the soil can cause serious root yield reductions.

Crop rotation will help control the nematode, check the NebGuide: Sugar Beet Nematode: Symptoms, life cycle and control of sugar beet nematodes, http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/plantdisease/g1100.htm . This gives a more complete focus on the problem.

Diseases: Diseases are caused by both fungi and viruses. Cercospora leaf spot, caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola and powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe polygoni are the most serious leaf disease of sugar beet in western Nebraska. Leaf wetness, high humidity and temperatures favor the infection. For more information, check the NebGuide: Cercospora Leaf Spot of Sugar Beet http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/plantdisease/g1348.htm

Curly top is a major viral disease. It causes curled and misshapen leaves. It lives on weedy members of the goosefoot family and is transmitted by the beet leafhopper or white fly. Control is through the use of resistant varieties. A new disease effecting sugar beet in Nebraska is Rhizomania, which is caused by viruses.

IMPORTANT:

The control of weed, diseases and insects can be done many ways. The most economical way of controlling many diseases and some insects is to select sugar beet varieties with tolerance to the pest. If a problem occurs and you need information, consult with your farm advisor or county extension educator. If you are using pesticides, follow the label instructions for proper application.

HARVESTING:

Sugar beets are harvested in the fall at a time specified in the contract with the sugar company. Sugar content should be at an acceptable level (15-20%). Harvesting of sugar beets is highly mechanized. It consists of three distinct steps: topping the plant, lifting the root, and loading. Transportation to the processing plant is an integral part. Topping is removing the leaves and crown (upper part of root) from the main root. The leaves can be used for animal feed. If the tops are discarded, various types of eaters are used. Lifting and loading are usually done in a single operation. The roots are mechanically dug and lifted by a conveyor belt and dumped directly into a truck. Sugar beet roots are delivered directly to the factory or stored in large piles on the factory owned pile grounds.

STORAGE:

In Nebraska, the sugar beet harvest covers a relative short period from September through October. Because of the short harvest period, processing plants do not operate the year round. Also, because the ground freezes, the beet root must be harvested and stored. Sugar beets can be stored up to 180 days to await delivery and processing. However, during this storage period, sucrose is used as an energy source in normal respiration. Respiration is estimated to contribute 70%, decay accounts for 10%, and fermentation when oxygen content is low because of poor ventilation, freezing and thawing cycles, and root desiccation (20%) of the sugar lost in storage. Improper defoliation, dirt, weeds, and leaf trash cause decay and poor ventilation. In order to minimize these losses, standards are set to which growers delivering roots must meet. If temperatures of the roots delivered for storage are below 55^o F pile loss can be reduced. If root temperatures are above 55^oF, harvest may be stopped until cooler temperatures occur.

References:

· Crop Production: Principles and Practices. W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco (1976).

· Principles of Field Crop Production, Third Edition, Macmillan Publishing Co, Inc. New York.

· Daigger. L.A., F.N. Anderson and K. Knudesen. 1978. Fertilizing Sugar Beets. NebGuide, G 73-8, Cooperative Extension Service, IANR, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

· Willson, R., John Smith, Russel Moomaw. 1993. Cover Crop Use in Crop Production Systems. Nebguide, G93-1146-A, Cooperative Extension Service, IANR, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

· 1999 Sugar beet Production Guide. Extension Sugar beets - NDSU, 227 Walster Hall, Fargo, ND 58105 http://www.sbreb.org/productguide/.

· Encyclopedia Britannica .

Note: This is a minimal amount of information for this subject. Details should be obtained from other sources. Max D. Clegg/2000