How beneficial is Sugar Beet and its Cultivation Practices

Introduction
Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), form of beet 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. The sugar beet was grown as a garden vegetable and for fodder long before it was valued for its sugar content.

Sugar beet is a root vegetable also known as root beet, table beet, garden beet, or just beet. Packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin c. Beetroots and beetroot juice have been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance. Many of these benefits are due to their high content of inorganic nitrates. Beetroots are delicious raw but more frequently cooked or pickled. Their leaves – known as beet greens ; can also be eaten . There are numerous type of beetroot, many of which are distinguished by their color –yellow, white, pink, or dark purple.

Some beneficial nutritional facts

• The carbs in beetroots are mainly simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose.
• Beets are high in fiber but also have FODMAPs, which are causes digestive problems in some peoples.
• Beets are good sources of vitamins and minerals, such as manganese, potassium, iron and vitamin c.
• Beetroots are high in several beneficial plant compounds, especially betanin ( beetroot red), vulgaxanthin, and inorganic nitrates are associated with reduced blood pressure.
• Beetroots can lower blood pressure, which may lead to reduced risk of heart disease and other ailments. The root veggie can also improve oxygen use, stamina and exercise performance.

Culture

Sugarbeet is the crop of a temperate regions and cool season. It is highly versatile and can be raised in the any region with the temperature ranging from 12-300C during the crop season (October to May). It can be grown profitably in all most all parts of the countries, during summer season in mountains and winter season in the hills and terai. The good germination and emergence the soil temperature must be above 150C. The optimum temperature for plant growth and development is 20 to 220C. The temperature above 300C decreases the sugar content that limits the commercial cultivations.

A good yield of 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.

Sugar beet can be grown in well drained sandy loam to clay loam soil. Heavy clay coils should be avoided. Drained fertile subsoil is most preferable. Sugar beet can thrive very well in saline alkaline soil with the pH as high as 9.5. The field should have enough slope and drainage to prevent flooding of the bed.

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 beet roots but delays ripening. Potash is well absorbed by sugar beet, 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 beet root weight and accelerates ripening.

Some management practices should be done under growing stage such as thinning, water management, Earthing up, weed management, other Intracultural operation and so on.

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 harvesting. In the Pommritzer method the topping and the lifting of the roots are performed by two separate machines. 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).

Writer: Krishna Shah (Address: Birendranagar, Surkhet, Institute: Gauradaha Agriculture campus)