Sugar Beet

Sugar beet before harvesting

The main raw material for the production of sugar is sugar beet (Beta vulgaris var. altissima). Sugar beet is a biennial farm crop, falling in the row crop group. For sugar production, it is cultivated for one year. Its vegetation season lasts for ca. 190-200 days. As it is a demanding farm crop, it must be taken care of properly throughout its vegetation season.

Where Sugar Beet is Cultivated

Sugar beet is cultivated primarily in beet-growing regions, which also include the territory of Central Moravia. Sugar beet is a crop demanding good soil, plenty of nutrition, protection and precipitation. In the Haná region, sugar beet cultivation as well as sugar industry has a long tradition. Sugar beet is always cultivated on the best sites in the given region. The yield as well as sugar content in sugar beet has increased substantially over the last fifteen years. The yield ranges between 50 and 60 tons per hectare, while the sugar content reaches up to 16%, but may be even higher under favourable conditions. This is being supported by corresponding fertilisation, higher quality of sugar beet seeds, better nutrition and protection, but the greatest credit goes to the cultivators who provide sugar beet with everything it requires.

Seeds and Varieties

At present, quality single-germ seeds are used that are treated beforehand. The sugar beet seeds are ordered by farmers from the sugar mill, which ensures that the seeds are supplied by the seed producer. The seeds are selected based on the long-term results of state varietal experiments. Varieties that achieve the best results in at least triennial experiments are sown on the fields of the separate farmers. Other important factors include fast and quality pre-sowing preparation of soil and the immediate sowing of seeds, influencing fast and regular emergence of the sugar beet plants.

Sugar Beet Sowing

Beet Fields in Central Moravia

Sugar beet is sown from the middle of March until the middle of April. With respect to the relatively long vegetation season, sugar beet is sensitive to nutrition, diseases and pests, therefore it is necessary to ensure efficient protective measures against such factors. The indispensability of protection is not implied only by the need for soil stabilisation, but primarily by the requirement of reduction of losses caused by the injurious factors.

In the first phase of vegetation, it is necessary to regularly monitor the occurrence of weeds and the health state of sugar beet, with an emphasis placed on the provision of herbicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal protection of the sugar beet crop, including timely fertilising. Also, sufficient and regular precipitation is a very important factor for good yield and sugar content. In our conditions, the ideal precipitation volume is ca. 450-550 mm evenly distributed throughout the vegetation period.

Sugar Beet Harvesting and Processing

Photo-gallery: Sugar Beet Harvesting

Good results are also influenced by modern harvesting technology. State-of-the-art harvesting equipment is used, mostly self-propelled, six-row tank harvesters, which reduce losses during harvesting. Harvesting itself is organised based on contracted schedules of sugar beet shipments to the sugar mill. Sugar beet is harvested four to five days before it is shipped for processing. Harvesting is in progress until early December, with respect to the expected weather. In the case of a long harvesting period, sugar beet is not stored at yards for a prolonged period of time, thus preventing substantial loss in weight, sugar content and condition of the sugar beet. Before transportation for processing, sugar beet undergoes preliminary cleaning by special loaders at the farmers' yards, which is beneficial for the cleanliness of the transported and salable beet. Preliminary cleaning and transport to the sugar mill is provided by the sugar mill. Incoming beet is weighed at a weighbridge; a sample of beet is then taken from the vehicle using a sampling machine (Rüpro). The sugar mill raw-material laboratory uses the sample to determine the volume of mineral and vegetable impurities as well as the beet sugar content. Sugar beet is then stored in a handling pile, from which it floats by water to the production building where it is processed into sugar.