| DESCRIPTION: It is an herbaceous plant which stores reserves in the root during the first growing season and produce a flowering stem 120-180 cm in height and seed in the following summer. After the seed crop is produced the entire plant dies. The taproot is white and deep-penetrating. The root may be 15-20 cm thick and up to 60 cm long. Leaves are glabrous, ovate to cordate, dark green or reddish, up to 60 cm tall, forming a rosette on the underground stem. USES: The root contains sucrose used as all-round food sweetener (sugar). Used in the production of yeast, industrial alcohol, alcoholic beverages, ethanol, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Molasses and fibre residue from the roots is a rich source of minerals and sugar (50%) and is used for production of mixed cattle feeds. Fresh leaves and tops can be collected and used as livestock feed or ploughed back into the soil. They can either be ensiled or fed dried. Tops are good for cattle but poisonous for pigs and horses, as they contain 1% oxalic acid. GROWING PERIOD: Biennial, grown as an annual for sugar production and as biennial for seed production. COMMON NAMES: Sugar beet. FURTHER INF.: It can be grown on a wide range of soils but medium to slightly heavy well drained soils are best. An ideal soil would be a deep and homogenous loam or sandy loam with a high content of humus. Soil crusting and compaction may lead to poor germination and formation of deformed roots. |
