Sugarbeet -- A Supplementary Sugar Crop
by Dr. M. M. Syed
Sugarbeet contributes about 16% of the world sugar production, with sugarcane the main sugar crop contributing 84%.
It is primarily a crop of the temperate region with Europe accounting for more than 2/3rd of the world area under sugarbeet and still greater percentage of world sugarbeet production.
However, advances in genetics and agro-technological improvements have extended its scope to the subtropics where it is cultivated as an irrigated winter crop. Already, in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Algeria and Israel it is fast assuming commercial importance.
In Pakistan, sugarbeet has been cultivated in the NWFP for sugar production since the mid-sixties. There are at present three mills operating namely Frontier, Khazana and Faran producing beet sugar. During the 2000-01 season, these mills processed 2.26 lakh tons of sliced beet producing 17,276 tons sugar and 8,624 tons molasses. Sindh is the only other province where it is cultivated on a very small scale. The reported area under cultivation in Sindh is about 100 hectares.
Sugarcane is the main source of sugar production in the country. Our sugar industry is entirely dependent on the availability of sugarcane. However, it is a high delta crop notorious for its lavish water use and occupies land for 10-14 months. In this respect, sugarbeet has a comparative advantage, as it is a low delta crop and occupies land for 4-5-months.
In view of the continued and increasing water scarcity in the country, the government is now keen to introduce this crop in the coastal areas of Sindh and parts of Punjab. Towards this end a project to introduce sugarbeet cultivation in new areas has been included under the agriculture sector in the 10-year perspective plan (2001-11) of the government. Rs 100 million are proposed to be spent in four years beginning 2002-03 on this project.
In view of this new importance which the sugarbeet has assumed in the current situation of water scarcity and considering that this is a new crop in this part of the country, brief information about the botanical and agronomic aspects of the crop is being presented here.
Sugarbeet plant: Sugarbeet (beta vulgaris L) is a herbaceous dicot belonging to chenopodiaceae, also known as the goosefoot family, It is a biennial plant completing its life cycle in two years. In its first year of growth, it develops a rosette of leaves and a large fleshy root, which stores the food reserve in the form of sugar.
If it is left to grow, in the second year, it produces flowers and seed. As a sugar crop, however, it is grown annually and efforts are made for the maximisation of sugar deposition in the root. The plant consists of three parts, namely the crown, the neck and the root. The crown produces leaves and the root stores the sugar. The roots are cone-shaped ending in a slender tap form. The portion of the root slightly above the middle has the highest sugar concentration, which decreases towards both ends. The concentration ranges between 10-20%.
Soil requirement: Sugarbeet crop thrives best in loam's and clay loam's with a near neutral pH. Acidic conditions are inimical to its growth. However, once established, sugarbeet plants have a high tolerance against saline or alkaline conditions. Poorly drained soils are not suitable for this crop as it cannot withstand waterlogging.
Land preparation and fertilisation: The crop needs a good tilth for which necessary plowing, planking and levelling operations should be carried out. Depending on the method of sowing, flat beds or ridges 10-12 cm high and 50 cm apart are laid out before sowing.
Application of FYM at the rate of 20-30 tons/ha during land preparation is desirable. In addition, application of 5 bags of urea, 4 bags of DAP and 3 bags of SOP/hectare are recommended to provide the required amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash nutrients for optimum growth.
Whereas full amount of DAP and SOP is applied at the time of sowing, urea may be applied in 3 split doses that is at sowing, after thinning and after earthing up. Results of experiments on N-fertilisation of sugarbeet by Khan et al (1998) at Sugar Crops Research Institute, Mardan, suggest that 150 Kg/ha N is the optimum and economical dose for achieving maximum beet and sugar yield. These experiments were done on varieties Kawe Term and Kawe Pak 294. Higher than above dose had an adverse effect on sugar quality.
Irrigation: Sugarbeet is a low delta crop requiring 8-10 irrigation during the growth period. It is sensitive to both the extremes, drought as well as excessive moisture. The latter is detrimental to root quality. On an average, fields should be irrigated at 2-3 weeks interval. Adequate water supply is especially important during the critical growth stages namely formative, leaf growth and root development.
Sowing: Sugarbeet is cultivated in Rabi season. October is considered an ideal month for sowing. Late sowing adversely affects quality and yield of sugar.
Sugarbeet can be grown on flat beds or on ridges. Spacing is 20-25 cuts between plants and 50 cms between rows. Seed rate is about 10 Kg/ha. Soaking of seeds in water for 4-5-hours before sowing seems to give higher germination. Thinning should be done when seedlings are at 3-4 leaf stage. Gap filling if required should be done soon after germination.
Harvesting: Crop sown in October is ready for harvest in April-May. For easy harvesting, soil should be just moist but not wet as it causes deterioration in root quality. The roots also need topping at the leaf crown because allowing the leaves to remain on the roots affects the recovery of sugar adversely.
Average yield for Pakistan in 2000-01 was 29.7 tons/ha which is only 1/10th of the world average of 291.8 tons/ha. Sugarbeet spoils fast. Hence, it needs to be transported to the mill speedily, so that it gets processed within 48 hours. Otherwise, yield and quality of sugar are adversely affected. The location of sugarbeet mill near the sugarbeet source is, therefore, critically important.
Sugarbeet production in Pakistan (2000-2001)
| Province | area (000 HA) | Production (000 MT) | Yield MT/HA |
| NWFP | 7.5 | 224.4 | 29.9 |
| Sindh | 0.1 | 1 | 10 |
| Balochistan | - | - | - |
| Punjab | - | - | - |
| Total | 7.6 | 225.4 | 39.9 |
Source: Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Islamabad.
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By products: In addition to beetroot, the main produce, sugarbeet crop produces about 5-10 tons of beet tops. These can be used as feed for milch cattle. However, because of the presence of oxalic acid in the freshly harvested material, mixing of finely ground lime @ 60g/100 kg top is recommended.
The tops are also useful as green manure. Tops from one hectare add about 100 kg nitrogen to soil. Beet pulp after extraction, fresh or dried, is also used as cattle-feed. Also, sugarbeet molasses are a rich source of lactic acid and vitamins. These are used in many pharmaceutical preparations.
According to press reports (Business Recorder), initial trials with sugarbeet cultivation in Sindh have given very encouraging results. The government, therefore, has decided to introduce sugarbeet cultivation in the coastal belt, dividing Sindh/Balochistan, on a large scale.
In order to ensure success of the project, the government should offer the prospective sugarbeet growers a guaranteed price for their produce. Also, it can help the farmers by providing production loans through ADBP or NCBs for growing this crop. There should also be a pre-arrangement between the mill and the farmers to ensure that the sugar mill will purchase the beet produce on harvest.
(The author is Chief Agronomist at the East West Insurance Company Ltd)
Courtesy Business Recorder
