Sugarbeet

A      Relation to Temperature

·      During various stages of vegetation the sugarbeet differently responds to changes in temperature.

·      It gives normal shoots at 5-6 °C in the two to three weeks after planting , and at 17- 20 °C in 6 to 7 days.

·      Photosynthesis and growth are best at daily ( day-time ) temperature of 23-26 °C  and night ones of 20 °C.

·      It accumulates sugar best at 23 °C and 15 °C  respectively.

·       When night temperature rise up to 30 °C the accumulation of sugar in the roots and the sucrose percentage drastically decline.

·      According  to American Scientists  , in hot weather ( 22 to 30 °C ) the weight of the beet leaves and roots, as well as the sugar content of root were observed to diminish during beet vegetation .

·      When the plant vegetates in cool weather decrease (12 to 17 °C) the weight and the sugar content of roots decrease while the weight of leaves, on the contrary , increases.

·      If during the first phase of vegetation the temperature is moderately warm (19.8 °C) or slightly elevated ( 26.1 °C), and at the second stage , it is cooler (  14.7 °C ) or moderately warm, the sugar yield will remain at high level.

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B      Relation to Moisture    

·      During vegetation, the sugarbeet consumes much water.

·      To grow one root of 500 gm , it is necessary to supply 40 to 45 kg of water.

·      And 80 kg of water are required to raise 100 kg of beet roots.

·      To provide for normal shoots, when preparing seeds for sowing , the weight of water should be 150 to 170% to that of seed pieces.

·      At the same time, the transpiration coefficient of the sugarbeet is rather low ( 240 to 400 ) , testifying to its economical use of water and higher tolerance to deficient soil moisture.

·      On the whole, total water demands of sugarbeet (especially during its intensive growth ) are much higher than those in cereal grains.

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C      Relation to Light

·      The sugarbeet is a long-day plant.

·      The day length affects this plant through photosynthesis .

·      As seen from some experiments, when the day length was prolonged from8 to 12 or 14 hours, the root weight increased, while the weight of haulm, and the sugar percentage did not show any considerable changes.

·      The total sugar yield was found to be higher with longer day-time, owing the enlarged weight of the roots.

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D      Relation to Soil  

The sugarbeet is extremely demanding to the soils , which is cultivated on.

1.   They must be fertile, of high water capacity , with a thick arable layer .

2. they must be well drained and ,preferably , loamy in texture.

3.It is recommended that soils with pH under 5.0 or 5.5 should be first limed before they are used for beet cultivation.

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E      Significance in Crop Rotation   

The beet is cultivated only in rotation with other crops. Successive , and more, continuous of sugarbeet :

1.   decrease the root yield

2. due to soil depletion

3.and intense development of diseases and pests , especially nematodes.

In the major regions, of beet cultivation this crop is planted after its best predecessors , i.e. winter cereals such as winter wheat , or follow potatoes , vegetables.

     In the subtropical regions of USA , on nematode-infected soils , such in Bostan region in Egypt, the sugarbeet is sown on the same plot only once in 5 year , on noninfected ones it is grown once in 3 years.

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