Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

1. Basic Information

• Botanical name: Beta vulgaris L. var. altissima
• Family: Chenopodiaceae (Amaranthaceae in modern classification)
• Origin: Mediterranean region
• Type: Biennial root crop (grown annually for sugar)
• Importance:
  • Major temperate sugar crop (next to sugarcane)
  • Contains 15–20% sucrose in root
  • By-products → beet pulp (cattle feed), molasses (alcohol, yeast, citric acid industry)

2. Climate Requirement

• Temperate crop, requires cool & moist climate
• Temperature: 15–25°C ideal
• Rainfall: 600–800 mm, well distributed
• Sensitive to frost at seedling stage & high temp (>30°C) at root bulking stage
• Long day plant → requires long photoperiod for root development

3. Soil Requirement

• Deep, well-drained sandy loam to silty loam soils
• pH: 6.0–7.5 (slightly alkaline tolerated)
• Avoid waterlogging & saline soils

4. Land Preparation

• Deep ploughing for friable soil (roots penetrate up to 1 m)
• Harrowing for fine tilth

5. Sowing

• Season in India:
  • October–November (Rabi, North India)
  • September–October (coastal areas, Tamil Nadu)
• Seed rate: 8–10 kg/ha (pelleted seeds)
• Spacing: 45 × 20 cm (row × plant)
• Depth: 2–3 cm

6. Varieties

• Indian varieties: Pant S-10, Pusa Hybrid, KWS 2320, PAC 60008
• Exotic hybrids: Maribo, Kawemira (developed for subtropical regions)

7. Fertilizer Requirement

• Heavy feeder crop
• General dose: 120–150 kg N + 60–80 kg P₂O₅ + 60–80 kg K₂O/ha
• N in 2–3 splits (basal + 30 DAS + 60 DAS)
• Sulphur & Boron → essential for root bulking and sugar recovery

8. Irrigation

• Total water requirement: 500–600 mm
• Critical stages:
  • Germination
  • Root development (30–60 DAS)
  • Root bulking (60–120 DAS)
• Furrow irrigation or drip preferred; avoid waterlogging

9. Intercultural Operations

• Thinning: At 20 DAS to maintain 20 cm spacing
• Weeding: 2–3 weedings till canopy closes (up to 60 DAS)
• Herbicides:
  • Pre-emergence: Pendimethalin 1.0 kg a.i./ha
  • Post-emergence: Phenmedipham + Desmedipham

11. Harvesting & Yield

• Crop duration: 5–6 months (150–180 DAS)
• Roots harvested when 2/3 leaves turn yellow & sucrose content peaks (~16–18%)
• Roots lifted manually or by mechanical lifters
• Average yield:
  • Roots: 40–60 t/ha
  • Sugar recovery: 10–15%

12. Post-Harvest Processing

• Roots → washed, sliced (cossettes) → diffused with hot water → juice extraction
• Juice purified (lime + CO₂) → concentrated & crystallized
• By-products: Molasses, beet pulp

13. Economic Importance

• Alternative to sugarcane in temperate & subtropical regions
• Sugar beet molasses → alcohol, yeast, citric acid industry
• Beet pulp → cattle feed
• Rotation crop with cereals & oilseeds (improves soil fertility)

14. Major Producing Regions

• World: Russia, France, USA, Germany, Turkey
• India: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu (experimental belts)

15. Quick MCQ Pointers

• Family: Chenopodiaceae (Amaranthaceae)
• Origin: Mediterranean region
• Plant type: Biennial (grown annually)
• Sugar %: 15–20% in roots
• Seed rate: 8–10 kg/ha
• Root yield: 40–60 t/ha
• Major disease: Cercospora leaf spot