Sugar beets

Sugar beet
Sugar beet, illustration of root, leaf, and flowering patterns
Species	Beta vulgaris
Subspecies	Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
Cultivar group	Altissima Group
Origin	Silesia, mid-18th century

Sugar beet is the Altissima Group of cultivars of the common beet (Beta vulgaris). It is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and it is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other beet cultivars, such as beetroot and chard, are members of Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris and share a common wild ancestor, the Sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima).

In 2011, France, the United States, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine were the world's five largest sugar beet producers by mass, whilst by value Turkey takes the place of Ukraine. However, in 2010–2011, North America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe did not produce enough sugar from sugar beets to meet overall demand for sugar, and were all net importers of sugar. The US harvested 1,004,600 acres (406,547 ha) of sugar beets in 2008. In 2009, sugar beets accounted for 20% of the world's sugar production.

The sugar beet has a conical, white, fleshy root (a taproot) with a flat crown. The plant consists of the root and a rosette of leaves. Sugar is formed by photosynthesis in the leaves, and is then stored in the root.

The root of the beet contains 75% water, about 20% sugar, and 5% pulp (the exact sugar contents can vary between 12 and 21% sugar, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions). Sugar is the primary value of sugar beet as a cash crop. The pulp, insoluble in water and mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin, is used in animal feed. The byproducts of the sugar beet crop, such as pulp and molasses, add another 10% to the value of the harvest.

Sugar beets grow exclusively in the temperate zone, in contrast to sugarcane, which grows exclusively in the tropical and subtropical zones. The average weight of sugar beet ranges between 0.5 and 1 kg (1.1 and 2.2 lb). Sugar beet foliage has a rich, brilliant green color and grows to a height of about 35 cm (14 in). The leaves are numerous and broad and grow in a tuft from the crown of the beet, which is usually level with or just above the ground surface.