INTRODUCTION

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), is a member of the Chenopodiaceae subfamily and the Amaranthaceae family.
It is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar. The
sugar beet is directly related to the beetroot, chard and fodder beet all descended by cultivation from the Sea
Beet.

The European Union, the United States, and Russia are the world's three largest sugar beet producers,[1]
although only Europe and Ukraine are significant exporters of sugar from beet. Beet sugar accounts for 30%
of the world's sugar production.

Left sugar beet is grown to be smoother than traditional beet to traps less soil

Culture

Sugar beet is a hardy biennial vegetable that can be grown commercially in a wide variety of temperate
climates. During its first growing season, it produces a large (1–2 kg) storage root whose dry mass is 15–20%
sucrose by weight. If not harvested, during its second growing season, the nutrients in this root are consumed
to produce the plant's flowers and seeds. In commercial beet production, the root is harvested after the first
growing season, when the root is at its maximum size.

Seed production and sugar production need to take place in different locations because frost resistance is
poor, but plants need a cold shock to flower and produce seed. Requires a deep well drained stone free soil
that is not acid. A high standard of management of land is needed to provide a well structured soil, free from
compaction. Sowing date is quite crucial, early sowing gives better sugar yields due to increased water
availability earlier in the season, but sowing too early leads to a high population of bolters. Seedling stage is a
poor competitor with weeds and can be fatally damaged by millipedes, symphalids, spring tails and pigmy-
mangel beetle. Beet cyst eelworm (Heterodera schactii) can be damaging and is only satisfactorily controlled
by adequate rotation.

In most temperate climates, beets are planted in the spring and harvested in the autumn. At the northern end
of its range, growing seasons as short as 100 days can produce commercially viable sugarbeet crops. In
warmer climates, such as in California's Imperial Valley, sugarbeets are a winter crop, being planted in the
autumn and harvested in the spring. Beets are planted from a small seed; 1 kg of beet seed comprises 100,000
seeds and will plant over a hectare of ground (1 lb will plant about an acre).
 Up until the latter half of the 20th century, sugarbeet production was highly labor-intensive, as weed control
was managed by densely planting the crop, which then had to be manually thinned with a hoe two or even
three times during the growing season. Harvesting also required many workers. Although the roots could be
lifted by a plough-like device which could be pulled by a horse team, the rest of the preparation was by hand.
One laborer grabbed the beets by their leaves, knocked them together to shake free loose soil, and then laid
them in a row, root to one side, greens to the other.

A second worker equipped with a beet hook (a short handled tool something between a billhook and a sickle)
followed behind, and would lift the beet and swiftly chop the crown and leaves from the root with a single
action. Working this way he would leave a row of beet that could then be forked into the back of a cart.

Today, mechanical sowing, herbicide application for weed control and mechanical harvesting has removed
this reliance on workers.

Harvesting

The beets are harvested in the autumn and early winter by digging them out of the ground. They are usually
transported to the factory by large trucks because the transport distances involved are greater than in the cane
industry. This is a direct result of sugar beet being a rotational crop which requires nearly 4 times the land
area of the equivalent cane crop which is grown in mono-culture. Because the beets have come from the
ground they are much dirtier than sugar cane and have to be thoroughly washed and separated from any
remaining beet leaves, stones and other trash material before processing.

Harvesting is now entirely mechanical. The sugar beet harvester chops the leaf and crown (which is high in
non-sugar impurities) from the root, lifts the root, and removes excess soil from the root in a single pass over
the field. A modern harvester is typically able to cover 6 rows at the same time. The beet is left in piles at the
side of the field and then conveyed into a trailer for delivery to the factory. The conveyor removes more soil -
a farmer would be penalised at the factory for excess soil in his load.

If beet is to be left for later delivery, it is formed into "clamps". Straw bales are used to shield the beet from
the weather. Provided the clamp is well built with the right amount of ventilation, the beet does not
significantly deteriorate. Beet that is frozen and then defrosts produce complex carbohydrates that cause
severe production problems in the factory. In the UK, loads may be hand examined at the factory gate before
being accepted.

In the US, the fall harvest begins with the first hard frost, which arrests photosynthesis and the further growth
of the root. Depending on the local climate, it may be carried out in few weeks or be prolonged throughout
the winter months. The harvest and processing of the beet is referred to as "the campaign," reflecting the
organization required to deliver crop at a steady rate to processing factories that run 24 hours a day for the
duration of the harvest and processing (for the UK the campaign lasts approx 5 months).

PROCESSING

Reception

After harvesting the beet are hauled to the factory. Delivery in the UK is by haulier or, for local farmers, by
tractor and trailer. Railways and boats were once used in the UK, but no longer (some beet is still carried by
rail in the Republic of Ireland).

Each load entering is weighed, and sampled before tipping onto the reception area, typically a "flat pad" of
concrete, where it is moved into large heaps. The beet sample is checked for
 soil tare - the amount of non beet delivered
 crown tare - the amount of low sugar beet delivered
 sugar content ("pol") - amount of sucrose in the crop
 nitrogen content - for recommending future fertilizer use to the farmer.
From these the actual sugar content of the load is calculated and the grower's payment determined.
The beet is moved from the heaps into a central channel or gulley where it is washed towards the processing
plant.

Extraction

The processing starts by washing and slicing the beets into thin chips called cossettes,. This process increases
the surface area of the beet to make it easier to extract the sugar. The extraction takes place in a diffuser
where the beet is kept in contact with hot water for about an hour. Diffusion is the process by which the
colour and flavour of tea comes out of the tea leaves in a teapot but a typical diffuser weighs several hundred
tons when full of beet and extraction water.

The diffuser is a large horizontal or vertical agitated tank in which the beets slices slowly work their way
from one end to the other and the water is moved in the opposite direction. This is called counter-current flow
and as the water goes it becomes a stronger and stronger sugar solution usually called juice. Of course it also
collects a lot of other chemicals from the flesh of the sugar beet.

Diffusion

Diffusers are long (many metres) vessels in which the beet slices go in one direction while hot water goes in
the opposite direction. The movement may either be by a rotating screw or the whole unit rotates and the
water and cossettes move through internal chambers. There are three common designs of diffuser, the
horizontal rotating 'RT' (from "Raffinere Tirlemontoise", the manufacturer), inclined screw 'DDS' (De Danske
Sukkerfabrik)), or vertical screw "Tower". A less common design uses a moving belt of cossettes and water is
pumped onto the top of the belt and pours through. In all cases the flow rates of cossettes and water are in the
ratio one to two. Typically cossettes take about 90 minutes to pass through the diffuser, the water only 45
minutes. These are all countercurrent exchange methods that extract more sugar from the cossettes using less
water than if they merely sat in a hot water tank. The liquid exiting the diffuser is called raw juice. The colour
of raw juice varies from black to a dark red depending on the amount of oxidation which is itself dependent
on diffuser design.

Pressing

The exhausted beet slices from the diffuser are still very wet and the water in them still holds some useful
sugar. They are therefore pressed in screw presses to squeeze as much juice as possible out of them.

The used cossettes, or pulp, exits the diffuser at about 95% moisture but low sucrose content. Using screw
presses, the wet pulp is then pressed down to 75% moisture. This recovers additional sucrose in the liquid
pressed out of the pulp, and reduces the energy needed to dry the pulp. The pressed pulp is dried and sold as
animal feed, while the liquid pressed out of the pulp is combined with the raw juice or more often introduced
into the diffuser at the appropiate point in the countercurrent process.

During diffusion there is a degree of breakdown of the sucrose into invert sugars and these can undergo
further breakdown into acids. These breakdown products are not only losses of sucrose but also have knock-
on effects reducing the final output of processed sugar from the factory. To limit (thermophilic) bacterial
action the feed water may be dosed with formaldehyde and control of the feed water pH is also practised.
There have been attempts at operating diffusion under alkaline conditions but the process has proven
problematic - the improved sucrose extraction in the diffuser offset by processing problems in the next stages.
Carbonation

The raw juice must now be cleaned up before it can be used for sugar production. The raw juice contains
many impurities that must be removed before crystallisation. This is accomplished via carbonatation. First,
the juice is mixed with hot milk of lime (a suspension of calcium hydroxide in water). This treatment
precipitates a number of impurities, including multivalent anions such as sulfate, phosphate, citrate, and
oxalate, which precipitate as their calcium salts, and large organic molecules such as proteins, saponins, and
pectins, which aggregate in the presence of multivalent cations. In addition, the alkaline conditions convert
the simple sugars, glucose and fructose, along with the amino acid glutamine, to chemically stable carboxylic
acids. Left untreated, these sugars and amines would eventually frustrate crystallization of the sucrose.

Next, carbon dioxide is bubbled through the alkaline sugar solution, precipitating the lime as calcium
carbonate (chalk). The chalk particles entrap some impurities and adsorb others. A recycling process builds
up the size of chalk particles, and a natural flocculation occurs where the heavy particles settle out in tanks
(clarifiers). A final addition of more carbon dioxide precipitates more calcium from solution; this is filtered
off, leaving a cleaner golden light brown sugar solution called thin juice.

The next stage of the process is therefore to evaporate the juice in a multi-stage evaporator. This technique is
used because it is an efficient way of using steam and it also creates another, lower grade steam which can be
used to drive the crystallisation process.
Evaporation by Boiling

The thin juice, is concentrated via multiple-effect evaporation to make a thick juice, roughly 60% sucrose by
weight, and similar in appearance to pancake syrup. Thick juice can be stored in tanks for later processing
reducing load on the crystallization plant.

For this last stage, the syrup is placed into a very large pan, typically holding 60 tons or more of sugar syrup.
In the pan even more water is boiled off until conditions are right for sugar crystals to grow. You may have
done something like this at school but probably not with sugar because it is difficult to get the crystals to
grow well. In the factory the workers usually have to add some sugar dust to initiate crystal formation. Once
the crystals have grown the resulting mixture of crystals and mother liquor is spun in centrifuges to separate
the two, rather like washing is spin dried. The crystals are then given a final dry with hot air before being
packed and/or stored ready for despatch.

Crystallization

The thick juice is fed to the crystallisers, with recycled sugar dissolved into it, this is called "mother liquor".
This is concentrated further by boiling under vacuum in large vessels and seeded with fine sugar crystals.
These crystals grow as sugar in the syrup forms around them. The resulting sugar crystal and syrup mix is
called a massecuite (French. 'cooked mass'). The massecuite is passed to a centrifuge where the liquid is
removed from the sugar crystals. Remaining syrup is rinsed off and the crystals dried in a granulator using hot
air.

The remaining syrup called is fed to another crystalliser from which a second batch of sugar is produced. This
sugar ("raw") is of lower quality and is re-dissolved into the mother liquor. The syrup from the raw is also
sent to a crystalliser and the very low quality sugar crystal that forms is also redissolved. The syrup separated
is molasses; still containing sugar but with too many impurities to be economically processed.

There are variations on the above system, with different recycling and crystallisation paths.

GRANULATED PRODUCT

The final sugar is white and ready for use, whether in the kitchen or by an industrial user such as a soft drink
manufacturer. As for raw sugar production, because one cannot get all the sugar out of the juice, there is a
sweet by-product made: beet molasses. This is usually turned into a cattle food or is sent to a fermentation
plant such as a distillery where alcohol is made. It does not have the same quality smell and taste as cane
molasses so cannot be used for rum production.
Sugar beet syrup

An unrefined sugary syrup can be produced directly from sugar beet. This thick, dark syrup is produced by
cooking shredded sugar beet for several hours, then pressing the resulting sugar beet mash and concentrating
the juice produced until it has the consistency similar to that of honey. No other ingredients are used. In
Germany, particularly the Rhineland area, this sugar beet syrup is used as a spread for sandwiches, as well as
for sweetening sauces, cakes and desserts.

History

Although beets have been grown as vegetables and for fodder since antiquity (a large root vegetable
appearing in 4000-year old Egyptian temple artwork may be a beet), their use as a sugar crop is relatively
recent. As early as 1590, the French botanist Olivier de Serres extracted a sweet syrup from beetroot, but the
practice did not become common. The Prussian chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf used alcohol to extract
sugar from beets (and carrots) in 1747, but his methods did not lend themselves to economical industrial-scale
production. His former pupil and successor Franz Carl Achard began selectively breeding sugar beet from the
White Silesian fodder beet in 1784. By the beginning of the 19th century, his beet was approximately 5–6%
sucrose by weight, compared to around 20% in modern varieties. Under the patronage of Frederick William
III of Prussia, he opened the world's first beet sugar factory in 1801, at Cunern in Silesia.

The development of the European beet sugar industry was encouraged by the Napoleonic Wars. In 1807 the
British began a blockade of France, preventing the import of cane sugar from the Caribbean, and in 1813,
Napoleon instituted a retaliatory embargo. By the end of the wars, over 300 beet sugar factory in 1801, at
Cunern in Silesia.

The development of the European beet sugar industry was encouraged by the Napoleonic Wars. In 1807 the
British began a blockade of France, preventing the import of cane sugar from the Caribbean, and in 1813,
Napoleon instituted a retaliatory embargo. By the end of the wars, over 300 beet sugar mills operated in
France and central Europe. The first U.S. beet sugar mill opened in 1838.

Agriculture

Sugar beet is an important part of a rotating crop cycle.

Sugar beet plants are susceptible to rhizomania ("root madness") which turns the bulbous tap root into many
small roots making the crop economically unprocessable. Strict controls are enforced in European countries
to prevent the spread, but it is already endemic in some areas. Continual research looks for varieties with
resistance as well as increased sugar yield.

Power Consumption

One of the big differences between a beet sugar factory and its cane sugar counterpart is with respect to
energy. Both factories need steam and electricity to run and both have co-generation stations where high
pressure steam is used to drive turbines which produce the electrical power and create the low pressure steam
needed by the process. However the beet factory does not have a suitable by-product to use as fuel for the
boilers, it has to burn a fossil fuel such as coal, oil or gas. This is partly because the pulp will not burn
properly and partly because the animal feed business has been built from the availability of the pulp
100kg fresh sugar beet can give 12 - 15kg sucrose, 3.5kg molasses, 4.5kg dried pulp and varying
amounts of filter cake.

Country Area harvested ('000 ha)

Yield (t/ha)
Production ('000 MT)
Austria 51.7 56.2 2,900
Bel-Lux 102.0 53.6 5,470
Denmark 70.0 48.3 3,384
Finland 34.6 26.6 920
France 459.5 74.3 34,154
Germany 504.0 56.5 28,487
Greece 49.2 67.0 3,300
Ireland 33.0 40.3 1,300
Italy 287.5 46.3 13,304
Netherlands 117.0 54.8 6,416
Portugal 4.3 46.7 201
Spain 156.9 51.8 8,128
Sweden 60.8 41.1 2,500
UK 195 54.0 10,527
EU-15 2125.5 47.8 120,991
World n/a n/a 43,000

Source: FAO

Record throughput at world leading facility in Norfolk

Following an extremely successful processing 'campaign', the Wissington sugar factory near Downham
Market, recognised as the 'leading sugar beet processing facility in the world', has now established a new
record throughput by processing 20,023 tonnes of sugar beet in the 24 hour period to 6.00am this morning.

Processing around 2.4 million tonnes of UK grown sugar beet every year, British Sugar's Wissington plant
is the largest and most efficient operation of its type in the world.

A few beet sugar factories in Europe produce more crystal sugar on a daily basis but none, say British
Sugar, process so much sugar beet in a season, or produce so much sugar each year. As a result, they
cannot match the efficiency of its UK operation. Some beet sugar factories in Minnesota, USA come close
but even with their extended processing season, they don't beat the UK's 'flagship on the fens'.

Commenting on the record at Wissington, operations director Karl Carter pointed out, "It is the scale of this
and our other factories, coupled with the innovative way we operate them, which makes us the most
efficient sugar producer in Europe. We continually strive to increase the efficiencies of all our operations
and this record throughput at Wissington has been achieved by the determination and dedication of the
factory team, growers and hauliers."

The UK beet sugar industry produces 1.1 million tonnes of sugar each year for the UK market - just over
half the country's requirements. The remaining 1 million tonnes (just under half the UK's requirements) are
imported from developing countries.
British Sugar plc is the lowest cost producer in the EU 25. Sugar beet productivity in the UK, averaging
almost 10 tonnes of sugar per hectare, is consistently ranked in the top 4 in the EU 25.

BRITISH SUGAR & BIOETHANOL

As one of the UK’s leading agri-processors with an interest in innovative new technology, British Sugar is
planning to produce bio-ethanol in the UK.

We believe that the production and use of bioethanol as a transport fuel should play a central role in
reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere, allowing the UK to seize the opportunity presented by
green technology to secure jobs and prosperity for the future.

BUYING BIOETHANOL

Corporate customers

British Sugar are currently working towards supplying bioethanol in the UK. In December 2005,
we began construction of a plant at our Wissington sugar factory and we expect to be able to supply 55,000
tonnes p.a. from early 2007. If you are interested in sourcing UK-produced bioethanol in the future please
contact us now to discuss how we can help.

Private customers

Bioethanol is currently available in a 5% blend at over 250 Tesco petrol stations in the South-East of
England. This petrol is supplied through ordinary unleaded petrol pumps and is not identified as
bioethanol-blended petrol. It is not yet possible to specifically buy bioethanol-blended petrol at petrol
stations in the UK but we hope that this will start changing soon. Please watch this space for further news.

Q&A

Q: What is the impact on carbon emissions of using bioethanol as a fuel?

Research commissioned by British Sugar from Nigel Mortimer of North Energy Associates showed that
when the whole life cycle of use and production is considered, bioethanol can reduce carbon emissions by
over 60% compared to conventional fuel.

Q: If we grow crops for biofuels, won’t this lead to food shortages?

The amount of bioethanol needed to include 5% bioethanol in all UK petrol could be made by using the
existing wheat and sugar crop surplus grown in the UK today. At this level of inclusion, there would be no
need to use any additional land to grow crops and no need to remove any crops from current food
production.

BACKGROUND

Sugar beet is a temperate climate crop which is grown successfully in virtually all areas of the world with
latitudes in excess of 30° where winters are not excessively harsh. The agricultural cost of producing beet
sugar is significantly more than the equivalent cost of cane sugar, so efficiency of production is a high
priority.

SKIL has been involved in beet agriculture since 1988 and has worked for major companies as well as
small farmers.
CULTIVATION

Sugar beet is a useful crop for farmers, particularly when incorporated into a rotation scheme. In a good
climate they can expect to achieve at least 60 tons/ha when the price they receive justifies the resources
required to obtain such yields.

A sugar beet factory can only be operated efficiently if the quality of the beet received is suitable for
processing. Cultivation techniques and material inputs must therefore be adapted to the climate and soil
types of the region:

Land

Not all land is suitable for growing beet so initial investigations are required to determine suitability and
any remedial measures that may be required. Once the land is selected, and at every subsequent sowing,
correct preparation is essential to ensure maximum germination takes place. A fine tilth with little stone
content is needed to achieve this.

Sowing

The use of the most effective variety or varieties of beet for the location is pivotal to the success of the
crop. It is therefore essential to establish this with practical field trials and, in parallel, to optimise the
chemical incorporation within the pelletising material coating the seeds.

Maximum yields can only be obtained when the spacing between rows and seeds within the rows has also
been optimised. This sometimes means that existing drilling machines have to be replaced with more
modern, high efficiency units.

Growth

Fertilisers of the correct type must be applied at the right rate throughout the crop if good yields are to be
obtained. Similarly it is necessary to apply appropriate chemicals in order to control airborne and soil borne
pests and diseases. Practical trials and experience are needed to determine the correct application
procedures.

HARVESTING

Harvesting has to be a co-operative exercise undertaken in collaboration with the factory if excessive sugar
loss is to be avoided. Good harvest planning is essential.

The factory requires the beet to be delivered in good condition and as free as possible from soil and green
material. Deliveries may be rejected in extreme circumstances. Harvesting machines must therefore be
efficient, minimising breakages and giving a good separation of the soil and trash. They also have to be
compatible with the seed drilling patterns.

Once the beet has been harvested there is a small but steady loss of sugar, exacerbated by poor storage
conditions. It is therefore important that sugar losses during on-farm storage are minimised and the agreed
delivery schedule to the factory is closely followed.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

The development of staff through parallel working is central to SKIL's philosophy but this needs
supplementing with training programmes. This should be targeted for several levels of staff and might
include the creation of a training centre and visits out of country. We consider the compilation of operating
manuals as an integral part of training as well as being essential for good management.

CONCLUSION

SKIL is able to assist in every sector of beet agriculture and can provide personnel with practical
experience of all aspects of beet cultivation whilst understanding factory quality requirements.

GENERAL

The efficient operation of a beet factory depends on full attention being given to every detail from beet
delivery to final despatch. SKIL is able to provide personnel with practical experience in all aspects of
factory management and operation:

 beet cultivation and purchase

 all engineering disciplines
 process technology
 efficient by-product utilisation
 environmental impact
 commercial activities

The above disciplines can be applied equally effectively to both new and refurbishment projects.

PROCESS

Although beet is physically different from its tropical counter-part, sugar cane, the factory processes are
surprisingly similar. Two major differences are the lower juice colour levels with beet - which allows direct
production of white sugar - and a cane factory's self-sufficiency in fuel.

Each beet factory is unique, with its own set of process problems to solve and with a particular market to
satisfy. Each aspect of the process therefore needs to be considered:

Reception of beet directly affects factory economics because most beet growing is outside of the factory's
control. Sophisticated sampling and analysis systems have been developed to determine the sugar and soil
contents in each load so that accurate payment methods are applied and poor quality loads rejected.

Storage of beet at the factory will depend on climatic conditions but can require several weeks' supply
where harvesting disruptions occur. Good storage and effective delivery scheduling is therefore imperative
to the avoidance of sugar loss.

Extraction starts with washing before the beets are cut into chevron shaped slices and introduced to the
diffuser. Diffusion is achieved with water at about 70 °C in a counter-current process and strict temperature
control and hygiene is required in order to achieve efficient extraction.

Purification of diffusion juice is simplified by the relatively low colour levels. It is normally achieved
using carbonatation with the addition of appropriate chemicals to minimise fouling of the subsequent
concentration steps.
Crystallisation follows evaporation to a syrup. Because beet factories are not self-sufficient in fuel the
evaporation is more optimised for steam efficiency than a cane factory. It is normal to adopt a three boiling
pan system.

Curing, Drying and Storage are all critical to the process because the sugar is produced as the finished
product. Centrifugation must therefore be very efficient, drying involves subsequent conditioning and
storage must be to the highest quality if the products, usually produced in a relatively short campaign, are
to remain market ready throughout the year. If necessary the product can also be screened.

Packaging is a topic in its own right: a typical factory will be capable of producing a range of sugars from
icing through cubes to liquid products and a range of packages from 8 gm sachets to bulk road/rail tankers.
A direct and thorough knowledge of the market requirements, including modern packaging arrangements,
is critical to success.

CO-PRODUCT UTILISATION

Factory profitability often relies on the efficient utilisation of the molasses and animal feed co-products.
The spent beet fibre can be processed into a variety of both wet and dry animal feed products. The molasses
can either be sold on its own, used internally for alcohol production or blended with the fibre to make an
enhanced feed product. The importance of the feed products to the factory is such that uniform, high quality
products must be produced at all times.

SKIL SERVICES

Our specialists can help you investigate all aspects of the industry in order to:

 evaluate potential process improvements

 identify and implement capital projects
 develop your staff through appropriate training

Producing Sugarbeet Seed

The Willamette Valley is the source for all sugarbeet seed used in North America. Mild winters, low
disease pressure and dry harvest weather makes the area desirable for growing seed. During World War I
and II, the supply of seed from Europe was insufficient, which required seed companies to find a growing
area in North America. West Coast Beet Seed is jointly owned by a group of sugarbeet seed and sugar
companies.

WCBS grows sugarbeet hybrid seed and parental stocks. Stock seed productions often are grown in plots
from 0.1 to 5 acres and need isolation from commercial productions and other stock seed productions.
Appropriate isolation may be several miles from the nearest commercial seed production field. Much of the
work is done by hand including rogueing to remove undesirable and off type plants. The goal is to produce
uniform seed for the variety planted for eventual commercial hybrid production.
Commercial fields (typically 10 to 50 acres) are planted in late Aug or early Sept. Seed is supplied from
WCBS stock productions or supplied by seed companies. The crop will be in the ground for 12 months.
Typically planters are 4, 6 or 8 rows. This facilitates seed production with male and female strips.

The typical planting arrangement has a series of 4 row pollinator (male) strips adjacent to 8 to 16 row
female strips. Seed harvested from the female is the hybrid seed that eventually will be grown for sugarbeet
production and sugar processing. (The slightly lighter green 4 rows of plants in the center of the photo is
one pollinator strip.

In the fall, herbicides are applied to control annual weeds. Occasionally insects need to be controlled. Large
flotation type tires are used on spraying equipment to facilitate spraying on the wet conditions that often
occur. Spraying typically occurs from 5 to 7 times. In the spring, additional spraying for weeds, insects and
foliar diseases may be required.

In the spring, the plants begin to grow out of dormancy to produce a seed stalk or bolt. Manipulation
(cutting) of some plants may be done to facilitate matching (nicking) of flowering time between the male
and female plants.
Transplanting is an option that also may occur in the early spring (Jan to March). Roots may be harvested
from other commercial fields or special nurseries planted intentionally for transplanting. Planting can occur
under very wet conditions with special transplanting equipment. (Photo shows a strip of pollinator plants
that has been transplanted).

By mid June plants have reached full height (5 to 8 feet) with flowers starting to open.

Special machines are used to separate (untangle) the pollinator strips from the female strips. These
separators push the branches back to minimize tangling of branches between the strips. The pollen
shedding plants (planted in 4 row strips) often are removed as soon as pollination of the female strips is
completed.

The female plants have monogerm flowers (produce one germ per seed) which will produce only one plant
per seed when planted by the grower. This greatly aids in planting to a final stand or thinning.
Fields are ready to harvest in late July to early August. Swathing of the plants is done with equipment
outfitted with both horizontal and vertical cutting bars to minimize dragging of plants which could result in
additional seed shattering and loss. Swathers are typically equipped with draper belts. Swathing is done
best during periods of high humidity to reduce shattering.

After the seed stalks have dried, a combine with a pickup head is used to separate the seed from the plant
material. Combining is a slow process due to the bulky plant material that needs to be processed.

Seed that shatters during the harvest operation may produce volunteers in later years that need to be
controlled. Fields are worked and sometimes irrigated shortly after harvest to promote germination of the
shattered seed so the volunteers can be reduced.

Sugarbeet seed may be produced in the same field using a rotation of 5 to 8 years. Field run seed is loaded
into wooden tote boxes. Boxes are labeled with variety and field information. Seed is moved into
warehouses where it awaits cleaning prior to shipping to seed companies.

Seed is run across round-hole screens to remove sticks and other undesirable material. It is then run across
a draper (machine with cloth belts) with additional small sticks carried up the inclined belt while the seeds
roll down the belt. All seed cleaning equipment must be cleaned between varieties.

Seed is transported to seed companies by shipping in bulk trucks (30 tons), large 1 ton bags or smaller
burlap 100 lb. bags.

Seed companies clean, grade, size, treat and prepare the seed for planting.

SUGAR BEET

Family: Chenopodiaceae

Genus: Beta

Species: vulgaris var. saccharifera

(i) General background on the plant

B. vulgaris is the only species of agricultural importance in this small family, it includes sugar and
fodder beets and mangels. Several members of the family are common arable weeds. The wild forms
of beet from which cultivated forms are thought to derive are sea-coast plants of Europe and Asia
and are very variable in habit and duration. Blockade of Continental ports during the Napoleonic
wars cut off the supply of sugar cane from the West Indies and favoured development of an
alternative source of sugar and sugar beet was developed in Europe in the eighteenth century from
white Silesian beet, then a fodder crop. The first beet sugar factory was in Prussia in 1801. Original
forms contained only about 4% sugar but careful selection and breeding have raised this to a
maximum of 20%.

Cultivated forms are biennials which are grown for their swollen root and harvested at the end of the
first year unless being grown for seed. The stem remains very short in the first year and forms the
crown of the plant, from which arise numerous large glabrous dark-green leaves, ovate in shape and
tapering to a long broad petiole. The primary root is diarch, with two vertical lines of lateral roots
produced. Secondary thickening is unusual in that cambial rings are built up, each produces xylem
internally and phloem externally. In cultivated beet the 'zones' are very broad and the xylem consists
mainly of parenchyma cells, producing a massive succulent swollen root. Plants become dormant in
autumn of the first year and are usually lifted from the ground then as they are not resistant to hard
frost. Growth naturally starts again the following spring after a cold shock, using up material stored
in the root the previous year. The stout stem then grows up to a height of about 1.5 - 2m bearing
numerous leaves and forming long, lax spike-like inflorescences.

Sugar beet plants have white roots of conical shape, growing deep into the soil with only the crown
exposed. They usually have two shallow vertical grooves in which the two lines of lateral roots
emerge. Highest sugar concentration is associated with phloem of vascular rings and roots with
numerous narrow rings usually have the highest sugar content. Many cultivars of sugar beet exist,
almost all are capable of giving root yield of 40 tonnes or so per hectare at 15.5 - 18% sugar content,
giving 6 -7 tonnes of sugar per hectare.

All forms of the species B.vulgaris are mainly cross-pollinated and will intercross freely. Seed
production for crops of different forms must therefore be well separated.

(ii) Details of quality characteristics

100kg fresh sugar beet can give 12 - 15kg sucrose, 3.5kg molasses, 4.5kg dried pulp and varying
amounts of filter cake.

(iii) Current production and yields

Country Area harvested ('000 ha) Yield (t/ha) Production ('000 MT)
Austria 51.7 56.2 2,900
Bel-Lux 102.0 53.6 5,470
Denmark 70.0 48.3 3,384
Finland 34.6 26.6 920
France 459.5 74.3 34,154
Germany 504.0 56.5 28,487
Greece 49.2 67.0 3,300
Ireland 33.0 40.3 1,300
Italy 287.5 46.3 13,304
Netherlands 117.0 54.8 6,416
Portugal 4.3 46.7 201
Spain 156.9 51.8 8,128
Sweden 60.8 41.1 2,500
UK 195 54.0 10,527
EU-15 2125.5 47.8 120,991
World n/a n/a 43,000

Source: FAO 1997

(iv) Constraints upon production

Seed production and sugar production need to take place in different locations because frost
resistance is poor, but plants need a cold shock to flower and produce seed. Requires a deep well
drained stone free soil that is not acid. A high standard of management of land is needed to provide a
well structured soil, free from compaction. Sowing date is quite crucial, early sowing gives better
sugar yields due to increased water availability earlier in the season, but sowing too early leads to a
high population of bolters. Seedling stage is a poor competitor with weeds and can be fatally
damaged by millipedes, symphalids, spring tails and pigmy-mangel beetle. Beet cyst eelworm
(Heterodera schactii) can be damaging and is only satisfactorily controlled by adequate rotation.

(v) Markets and market potential

The annual world production of sucrose is 110 x106 mt, it is produced mainly for utilization in food.
Beet pulp is utilized for ruminant nutrition. Filter cake is used as agricultural soil fertilizer. Molasses
are combined with beet pulp to provide animal food, or are used as feedstock in the chemical and
pharmaceutical industries for fermented products such as citric acid and its esters. Sugar molasses
are of limited value for large-scale ethanol fermentation. In Europe the sugar industry has been
enabled to provide sucrose for chemical and biotechnological industries at prices similar to those of
the world market.

Mode of processing Examples General Fields of Use

Chemical, thermal Surfactants; Material economics: starting materials and
modifications, Phosphoric acid esters; intermediates for food, feed, pharmacy, solvents,
hydrogenation Ethers; building blocks for biodegradable plastics and surfactants
synthesis
Biotransformation Organic acids: citric, lactic, Material economics: starting materials and
acetic. intermediates for food, feed, pharmacy, solvents,
Amino acids: lysine, glutamic. biodegradable plastics and surfactants
Solvents: acetone, butanol.
Biopolymers: PHB, PLA, single
cell proteins.
Energy and material economics: fuel alcohol,
Fermentation Ethanol and other alcohols
solvents, synthesis

(vi) Other information

The agronomy of sugar beet is well researched and well documented.

Virus yellows and rhizomania disease (beet necrotic yellow vein virus) can affect yields. Careful
spray programmes can control the spread of BYV and rhizomania tolerant/resistant varieties are
available.

Sugarbeet Agronomy 101

by Linzy Carlson and Jim Bauder

Sugarbeets play a significant role in the irrigated agriculture picture of the Lower
Yellowstone River. Growing high yielding, good quality beets is the yearly goal of many
Montana irrigators. That being the case, the following information and facts might prove
valuable to beet growers.

A Few Quick Facts

 Soil moisture levels should be maintained above 65% available moisture.

 Sugarbeets develop in an active root zone of 3.3' with 70% of the water drawn from the top
2' of this root zone.
 Sugarbeets are most sensitive to moisture shortages and salinity in the early growth stages
(germination and seedling).
 Over the peak 30 day growing period (July 21-Aug.20), maximum water use is 0.24"/day.
Maximum use during a 10-day peak will reach 0.28"/day.
 A dark green color of the beet leaves is an obvious sign of stress. At his point, irrigation
should begin immediately.
 Under-irrigating will cause stress and reduce yield, while over-irrigating near harvest
reduces sugar content.
 The average yield for sugarbeets is 19-22 tons/acre. Top yields can range from 26-30
tons/acre.

Water Use and the Sugarbeet Root Zone

Sugar beets require 22-28" of water during the growing season. Considering that sugarbeets are considered
a moderately long-season crop, averaging more than 120 days of vegetative growth, this amount of water
equates to 0.15-0.18 inches per day, on the average. During the hottest days of the summer, when the root
system is nearly fully developed, a beet crop will use as much as 0.28 inches of water per day. That equates
to an irrigation strategy requiring water about every 14 days. How do we get a value of 14 days? Assume a
soil can hold 2.5" of available moisture per foot, and the active root zone is 3.3 feet. That means the soil
just after irrigation can supply 8.25" of water (2.5"/foot x 3.3' root zone). But, the recommended
maintenance soil moisture level is 65% of available moisture, which leaves 2.9 inches of water for the
plant. If we use that value and divide by 0.28"/day, the net result for this specific soil is about 10 days. The
bottom line is this: maximizing yield and sugar production requires fairly frequent irrigation.
Disease
Studies have shown that previous crops which contribute a lot of crop residue to the soil, such as wheat or
sorghum, will result in higher levels of disease in the subsequent sugarbeet crop compared to beets grown
following crops such as alfalfa or sunflowers. Crops preferred in a short term rotation with sugarbeets
include beans, sweet clover, corn, grains, peas, potatoes, and if you are inclined to try something different,
tomatoes. Alfalfa is a suitable crop in a long term rotation with sugarbeets. The other factor that seems to
play a significant role with respect to diseases in sugarbeets is the occurrence of activities that wound the
roots. This makes the roots more susceptible to attacks by bacteria and fungi.

Nutrient Requirements
Adequate top and root growth require large amounts of N, but if storage roots are to be
high in sucrose concentration, the plants must be N deficient for 4 to 8 weeks before
harvest. Studies have reported that if the nitrate content in the sugarbeet is above 1000
ppm within 6 weeks of harvest, the sugar content will be decreased. Too much N results
in high root yields accompanied by low sucrose content and high concentrations of
impurities, particularly sodium and amino-N. High concentrations of impurities reduce
the percentage of extractable sucrose. Too little N results in high sucrose yield and good
quality, at the expense of root yield.

Reducing the amount of applied N does not decrease sucrose

yield or gross income of early harvested sugarbeets. A reduced
N rate is appropriate for early contracted sugar beets. A rate of
N above the recommended rate does not boost sucrose yield or
gross income of sugar beets harvested late in the season.

So, one of the best strategies for nitrogen fertilization of sugarbeets is to determine a reasonable yield goal,
manage your water to achieve 10% more than that yield goal, and manage your nitrogen fertilizer to
achieve the yield goal or slightly less. That way, you'll have enough nitrogen to supply the crop but not so
much that it carries over late into the season.

Spacing and Yield

Sugarbeet planting spacing is pretty well established by tradition, previous experience,
and existing equipment. However, it doesn't hurt to look around once in a while. The
following table shows the results of a study conducted at Malheur Experiment Station in
Ontario, OR. Beets were grown in 11" and 22" row spacings with a variety of plant
spacings within the rows. The results showed increased yield, sugar content, and
extraction for the beets grown in 11" rows over those grown in 22" rows. It follows that
growing sugarbeets on narrower rows has the potential to increase total sugar production.
In addition to potentially higher yields, narrow-row sugarbeets form a canopy over the
soil earlier in the season, perhaps making them more competitive with weeds than
sugarbeets in 22" rows.

Spacing Beet Root Sugar Gross Extraction Estimated Estimated

Size Yield Content Sugar (%) Recoverable Recoverable
 Sugar Sugar
(lbs) (tons/ac) (%) (lbs/ac)
(lbs/acre) (lbs/ton)
22"
2.2 35.9 15.0 10,777 87.3 9,410 262.0
Rows
11"
1.8 41.8 15.6 13,022 88.7 11,546 277.1
Rows