Niche analysis: How much, how and where sugar beets are produced in Russia. Countries - world leaders in the cultivation of sugar beets Geography of production: where is grown in Russia
- Kunakulov Ramis Radikovich, student
- Bashkir State Agrarian University
- YIELD
- SUGAR
- SUGAR BEET
- SUGAR
The article presents an analysis of the production of sugar beet roots in the world.
- Directions for the development of breeding varieties and hybrids of sugar beet
- Sugar beet cultivation in the Republic of Bashkortostan
Beet growing is a sub-sector of crop production that is engaged in the production of sugar beet root crops for sugar production. Sugar beet is the only source of raw materials for sugar production in Russia.
The main producers of sugar beets in 1990 were the USSR, France, Germany, the USA, Poland, China, Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands, and England. It is very important to note the fact that the share of the first three states was very large: the USSR, France and Germany accounted for 47% of world production, and the 10 countries mentioned earlier accounted for approximately 79%. By 1995, the situation had changed: 265 million tons of sugar beets were produced in the world, which indicates a decline in production - the world lost 44 million tons. The top three included France, Ukraine, Germany, while concentrating 32.6% of production, 14% less than in 1990, and they were followed by the USA, Russia, China, Poland, Italy, making up the top ten countries, Turkey, England, with a share in world production of 72%. The fact that the top three have changed has good reason: in 1993, the Soviet Union collapsed, and, as a result, 15 new states were formed. France, thanks to this fact, took a leading position, increasing its share by only 1%. Ukraine, one of the former republics of the Soviet Union, produced a significant amount of sugar beets. According to 1995 data, its share was 11.2%. Precisely because now the Russian Federation and Ukraine were then the main producers of sugar beets in the union, the USSR held the highest world positions in 1993.
In 2000, sugar beet production also fell: the harvest amounted to 250 million tons, which is 146 million tons less than five years earlier. The top ten included the USA, France, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Great Britain and China. But, oddly enough, the market share remained the same: 72%. As for the top three, it produced a little more: 36.6%. The United States broke into the first position, while increasing its share by almost 4 times! Turkey has also made a good breakthrough: its share has doubled. But Ukraine began to produce 2 times less than in 1995, the share of the Russian Federation also decreased.
In 2005, sugar beet production amounted to 254 million tons, which is 3 million tons more than in 2000. France has now taken the lead with a 12% share. In addition to it, the top three included the United States and Germany, which together with France produced 33.1%. The top ten also included the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Turkey, Italy, Poland, Great Britain, China, taking over 70% of world production.
As for 2009, it produced 27 million tons less than in 2005. France remained in the leading positions, increasing its share by 3% and now producing 15%. The top three also did not change: the USA and Germany remained together with France to hold 38.6% of the market. The first 10 countries, following those already mentioned, have undergone some changes: Russia, Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, England, China, the Netherlands. Their share in world production was approximately 76%. Italy left the top ten, as its share became equal to 1.46%, while decreasing by 3.5 times.
So, having analyzed the dynamics of sugar beet production in the period from 1990 to 2009, it should be noted that these volumes have significantly decreased. But the top 10 countries in the ranking retained roughly the same share of sugar beet production in 2009 as they did in 1990: it fell by only 3%. And this means that certain countries in the top ten hold the main share of production, and, as a result, regulate pricing on the world sugar market. Production tends to increase in concentration in these countries.
The remaining sugar beet producers, with a share of 1-2%, do not play a significant role in world trade, they, for the most part, provide only their own countries.
The largest cultivated areas are in the following countries: Ukraine, Russia, Germany, France and Poland. The average yield is about 40 t/ha. The highest yield in the following countries (t/ha): Austria (67); Belgium (55); UK (55); Germany (54); Holland (51); Denmark (50); Spain (56); Switzerland (68); France (61). World sugar production over the past 100 years has increased more than 10 times and amounted to at the end of the 20th century. 135 million tons, about 30% now falls on sugar beets. At the beginning of the XXI century. in Russia, 0.8 million hectares were occupied with sugar beets, i.e., compared with 1980, the sown area decreased by 2 times. The gross harvest amounted to 18 million tons (decreased by 1.5-2 times), the average yield was 23 tons / ha, i.e., almost did not change. The average yield of sugar in our factories is 10.2-12.5%. In European countries, this figure is much higher (in %): Austria (16.2-17.3); Belgium (16.3-16.9); Great Britain (17.2-17.5); Germany (16.3-17.0); Holland (16,616.7); Switzerland (16.9-17.3); France (17.0-19.0). As a result, the harvest of sugar from 1 ha in our country is 1.52.0 t/ha. In European countries it is much higher (t/ha): Austria (10-11); Belgium (9-11); UK (9-10); Germany (8-9); Holland (8-10); Denmark (8-9); Spain (8-9); Switzerland (11-12; France (10-12). In recent years, our country meets the demand for sugar by about 50%. The rest has to be purchased from other countries. In Russia, the widespread use of this crop began after the first sugar factory was built in the village of Alyabyevo (Tula province) At present, its main sown areas are located in the Central Chernozem Region and the Krasnodar Territory, as well as in the Non-Chernozem Zone, Western Siberia and the Far East. region, Voronezh and Belgorod regions (50-60 t/ha and more).
On March 29, 2016, at a conference call, A. Tkachev said: “Paradox. Last year, Russia took the first place in the world in terms of sugar production from sugar beet, today we occupy approximately 15% of the world market, ahead of our traditional competitors (America - a share of 14%, France - 11%), while most of crop is grown from imported seeds. The minister clarified: “In Russia, there are 5 factories for the preparation of sugar beet seeds, the production capacities of which can provide the country's agricultural producers with high-quality seeds in full.”
Thus, it can be seen that the following trend can be observed in world trade: developing countries, in which most of the people are engaged in subsistence farming, produce products that are sufficient only for the needs of their country, and even then not always, and they have practically nothing to sell. remains. In developed countries, where the share of EAN employed in agriculture is small, but the level of yields is much higher than in developing countries, most of the production goes not only to provide for their country, but also for export.
Bibliography
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In Russia, sugar beets are grown in thousands of farms. It is grown in about 30 regions. True, this information is probably outdated because last year a real boom in farming began in Russia. And many people took up farming activities. For the region in which I am now (Tatarstan), rather, I can say for sure one region. Quite a lot is grown in the Almetyevsk region. Even during harvesting, transportation is done at night in order to less interfere with the movement of traffic during the day. The Internet is full of news about the Altai sugar beet. I know they bring sugar from Bashkiria, which means they definitely grow it there. And if not specifically for sugar, but for example for cattle, I think in all regions they are grown at least for personal subsidiary plots.
in Soviet times, she herself was on a collective farm harvesting sugar beets, which means they are grown in the Volga region.
Russia is one of the leaders in the world production of sugar beets, yielding only to a billion Chinese in terms of yield, and the process of producing sugar from this plant was also mastered for the first time in our country. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are a lot of beets in Russia. The annual harvest of this root crop is about 30-50 million tons per year, depending on the season, productive-lean years. Most sugar beets in Russia are grown in the European part of Russia, in the Central Federal District, whose regions account for more than half of all sugar beets grown in Russia. These are mainly Voronezh, Tambov, Kursk, Lipetsk and Belgorod regions. Sugar beets are grown, but in smaller volumes in the Volga Federal District and in the Southern Federal District - in the Republic of Tatarstan, the Penza Region and the Krasnodar Territory. There is quite a bit of sugar beet in the North Caucasian Federal District, mainly in the Stavropol Territory, and in the Siberian Federal District - this is the Republic of Altai.
The Russian sugar beet complex has shown a pronounced growth dynamics in the last two years, the maximum amount of sugar beet is grown in the Krasnodar Territory. 2016 was a record year in terms of collection in kind.
The main raw material in Russia for the production of sugar is sugar beet, its share is more than 90% since 2012. Imports of raw cane sugar have a low share due to the state policy aimed at maintaining the beet sugar complex, as well as by no means small, import duties. In this regard, it is more profitable to produce sugar from beets in Russia than from cane. We present a study reflecting the production of sugar beet in the Russian Federation.
How much sugar do Russians eat
According to the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR), about 5.5 million tons of sugar are consumed annually in Russia, which is an average of 36-40 kg per person. During the crisis, the consumption of this product in its pure form increases, and the demand for sweets and confectionery products decreases due to their high cost.
Figure 1. How many kilograms of sugar Russians consume per year (data from 1990 to 2015).
Thus, in 1990, a record per capita consumption was noted (47 kg per year), and the minimum amount was recorded in 1992 (30 kg.), Recent years (from 2011 to 2014, the amount of sugar consumed is 40 kg per year), and in 2015 - 39 kg, see fig. one.
Geography of production: where they are grown in Russia
Sugar beet production in Russia is carried out in more than 30 regions of the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture at the end of October 2016, the percentage structure of the collection by regions of the country is shown in Fig. 2.
Rice. 2 Structure of sugar beet cultivation by regions of the Russian Federation (indicators as of the end of October 2016)
Source: Expert Analytical Center for Agribusiness (ab-centre.ru) according to the documents of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.
The leader in percentage terms (18%) is the Krasnodar Territory, in physical terms, at the end of October 2016, this figure amounted to 7,528.7 thousand tons, which is 20.4% higher than in the previous year.
The second region in percentage terms is the Kursk region. Table 1 shows the quantitative indicators of the 20 leading regions presented in the graph and the dynamics of the top ten growing regions compared to the previous year.
Krasnodar region |
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Kursk region |
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Voronezh |
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Lipetsk |
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Tambov |
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Belgorodskaya |
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Republic of Tatarstan |
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Orlovskaya |
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Penza |
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Stavropol region |
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Republic of Bashkortostan |
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Altai region |
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The Republic of Mordovia |
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Rostov region |
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Ulyanovsk region |
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Tula region |
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Ryazan Oblast |
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Saratov region |
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Nizhny Novgorod Region |
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Karachay-Circassian Republic |
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Other regions |
Source: Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation
How much sugar beet is produced in Russia
In 2016, 1.11 million hectares of agricultural land were sown with sugar beet, which is 8% more than the area sown in 2015. To trace the dynamics, let's consider how many centners are harvested from one hectare, and also how much was the total production from 2005 to 2015, see table 2.
Source: Rosstat
According to the Ministry of Agriculture at the end of October 2016 (at this point, 83% of the total sown area was dug), the amount of crop produced already amounted to 41.755 million tons.
In 2015, on the same date, it was harvested 27.2% less, and in relation to all beets harvested in 2015, the figure for October 2016 is already higher by 7%.
According to the preliminary results of Rosstat, in 2016, a total of 48.3 million tons were collected. beets grown by various agricultural producers, including peasant farms (peasant farms) and households, see table 3
Source: Rosstat
This indicates a pronounced positive dynamics in the growth of production, as well as the yield of sugar beets in Russia over the past two years.
In 2016, an average of 460 centners of crops were harvested per hectare (according to Rosstat).
Yield growth and the amount of sugar produced
On February 1, 2017, the All-Russian Agronomic Conference was held in Moscow. At it, Alexander Tkachev (the current Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation) made a statement that 2016 was a record year for Russia in terms of the number of grown and harvested sugar beets. She was ahead of European countries: Germany, France, and the United States. Such a record harvest makes it possible to produce about 6 million tons of sugar, which will be an absolute achievement for the country. He also said that such a volume of production will allow Russia for the first time to act as a major supplier of sugar to the world market. The projected export volumes in 2017 are more than 200 thousand tons.
The efficiency of the sugar beet complex in the Russian Federation has increased by almost 400% over two decades, sugar production has exceeded 5.3 tons per 1 hectare of crops in Russia, see fig. 3.
Rice. 3 Sugar production in Russia from 1 ha of sugar beet crops, tons.
Source: IKAR
The graph shows the dynamics of sugar production per 1 ha of crops for four macro-regions: Krasnodar, Belgorod-Voronezh, Ufa-Kazan, Altai Krai and Russia as a whole. The Krasnodar and Altai Territories are breaking the record (more than 6 tons) for the harvest per hectare of crops. The productivity forecast for the next 3-5 years is about 7-8 tons of sugar per hectare.
Results and trends of the industry
- The beet sugar complex in the Russian Federation has a pronounced growth dynamics in recent years;
- In 2016, a record was set for the collection of sugar beets;
- The sugar market in the Russian Federation remains competitive: there are 33 independent producers (factory operators) in the country; independent manufacturers operating on the terms of intermediary and tolling schemes, the number of which is in the hundreds; wholesale traders, as well as the Belarusian Sugar Company and Rosrezerv.
- In addition to sugar, Russia exports molasses and sugar beet pulp (by-products of sugar beet production).
Sugar beet in Russia is grown mainly as a raw material for the sugar industry, so its cultivation area is located in the Central Black Earth region, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, where the largest sugar factories are concentrated. However, rather moderate crop requirements for heat make it possible to cultivate this type of industrial crop in the Non-Black Earth zone, provided that a sufficient amount of nutrients is added to the soil for the growth and development of plants.
Another feature of this industrial crop is its virtually waste-free production, since all waste after sugar production can be used to feed livestock, which makes it possible to choose this direction for creating a closed agro-industrial complex.
Sugar beet cultivation area
Sugar beet, for all its unpretentiousness to the temperature regime, is quite demanding on the number of sunny days, as this affects the level of sugar in the tuber, the fertility and structure of the soil. It gives the highest yields on cultivated chernozems with their uniform moisture throughout the entire growing season. The most comfortable natural conditions for the cultivation of sugar beet fall on the southwestern zone of the European part of the country: Belgorod, Lipetsk, Voronezh regions, the right bank of the Middle and northwest of the Lower Volga region, where the likelihood of droughts is relatively low.
The cultivation of sugar beet in the Non-Black Earth zone is limited by the high acidity of the soil, which is unfavorable for the cultivation of this crop; in addition, a rather cool climate and a large number of cloudy days reduce the sugar content in tubers and transfer sugar beets from industrial crops to fodder crops.
Features of crop rotation
When planning a crop rotation, it should be taken into account that the re-planting interval of sugar beet for the same crop should be at least 4 years. Winter cereals and legumes are good predecessors for growing sugar beets, primarily due to their early harvesting, which allows carrying out the whole range of necessary agricultural activities to obtain a high yield of this industrial crop.
In autumn, it is necessary to carry out a deep plowing of the field to a depth of 30 cm; if necessary, additionally produce liming to combat the increased acidity of the soil. The amount of lime depends on the structure of the soil and ranges from 3500 kg per hectare on medium loams to 6000 kg on heavy clay soils.
Sowing seeds
After spring harrowing, the soil must be fed with basic fertilizers, the amount of which depends on the type of soil. So, for lands with a high content of humus, it is enough to apply 30 kg of nitrogen fertilizers per hectare of land; depleted soils will require double the consumption of fertilizers: the amount of phosphorus varies from 30 to 90 kg per 1 ha, potash fertilizers are applied at the rate of 45-60 kg per 1 ha.
The optimal time for sowing sugar beet depends on the region, for example, in the Krasnodar Territory, it can be sown in the 2nd half of April, after the earth warms up to 6-8 ° C; sowing depth is rather small - from 3 to 4 cm. After sowing, it is necessary to carry out harrowing and rolling the topsoil with rolls. Seed consumption is 1.1-1.2 million pieces per 1 ha of land, row spacing ranges from 45 to 60 cm.
7 days after sowing the seeds, the soil is re-harrowed across the laid rows. With normal seed germination and observance of the sowing dates, friendly seedlings appear already 2 weeks after the sowing, after which the field is re-harrowed.
Crop care
After the formation of the 1st pair of leaves, a breakthrough should be made, leaving no more than 5 plants per linear meter of arable land, this will allow the plants to form full-fledged tubers weighing up to 200-300 g.
The breakthrough ends with a shallow loosening of the soil to a depth of up to 8 cm; repeated shallow loosening should be carried out each time as weeds appear. When growing sugar beets, it should be remembered that excess moisture in the soil adversely affects the sugar content in the tuber, therefore, in rainy weather, deeper loosening of the soil is carried out - up to 12 cm.
To control weeds, it is necessary to carry out post-sowing treatment of the field with herbicides in a timely manner, and when plants are suppressed, measures should be taken for foliar feeding with growth stimulants. If it is necessary to combat agricultural pests, a system of protective measures is practiced.
This crop is harvested, depending on the region, from late September to early October; in this case, the choice of its timing depends on the number of clear days for the maximum accumulation of sugar in the tuber. For harvesting, special beet harvesting equipment is used, after which the green above-ground part of the plants is cut, the amount of which, when delivered to processing plants, should not exceed 3%.
Modern types of sugar beets are the fruit of the work of American breeders. In 1747, scientists from America found that white beets contain the same amount of sugar as sugar cane - 1.3%. Now technical hybrid varieties, bred by breeders specifically for the production of sugar, contain more than 20% of the natural substance. Despite the fact that this is a technical culture, people have adapted to use it both for food, and as a folk remedy, and as feed for livestock.
Characteristics of sugar beet
White sugar beet is a vegetable crop, a two-year-old root crop, a variety of ordinary red. In the first year, it forms a large, oblong, dense, fleshy root crop and a powerful rosette of large leaves in the ground part.
This is the most important sugar-bearing crop, which grows on a huge area of cultivated land. The level of sucrose ranges from 8-10 to 20% and directly depends on the climatic conditions of the region of growth, agrotechnical conditions, since the culture requires a lot of heat, moisture, sunlight.
Especially a lot of solar heat is necessary for a vegetable during the period of root ripening - from August to the end of October. It is during this period that sugar accumulates in it.
Sugar beet has 100% productivity. Waste left after sugar production is recycled, used in industry and is of great importance.
Beet pulp
From production waste receive:
- pulp- waste in the form of beet cuts, used as feed for cattle, pigs;
- syrup- used in the food industry for the production of yeast, citric acid, glycerin, organic acids and alcohol;
- defecation(or defecation mud) - lime fertilizer for plants.
In addition, sugar vegetables are used to produce ethanol required in gasoline production technology.
Growth history
The production of sugar from beets began in the 19th century in central Europe (New Silesia), where the plant's homeland is located, and quickly spread. In the first half of the 19th century, beets began to be planted and grown already in the territory of modern Russia and Ukraine.
The presence of fertile chernozem soils and warm climate defines crop cultivation areas: Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, black earth regions of southern Russia, as well as countries of southern and central Europe.
Sugar beet is cultivated on fertile and black earth soils in a warm climate.
For 2014, the leaders in growing crops and producing sugar from it are:
- France - about 40 million tons;
- Russia - a little over 30 million tons;
- Germany - 30 million tons;
- USA - 28.5 million tons;
- Ukraine - 16 million tons;
- Poland - 14 million tons.
In total, about 280 million tons of beets are grown in the world.
Food or feed for livestock
Of course, first of all, this culture is technical, but root crops are good. feed base for pig and cattle breeding.
The tops and rhizomes have almost the same nutritional value: 100 kg of beetroot contains 25 feed units (it is generally accepted that 1 feed unit is equivalent to 1 kg of oats in terms of nutritional value) and 1.2 kg of healthy protein, and 100 kg of green tops - 22 feed units and 2.2 kg of protein .
However, by the time of harvest mass of leaves and roots approximately 1:2. The share of foliage can be from 40 to 60% by weight of the vegetable.
The ratio of the mass of tops and root crops is approximately 1 to 2
But besides this, sugar beet is often used in dietary nutrition and in folk medicine. The plant has a rich vitamin and mineral composition: iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, vitamins of groups B, PP, C, betadine, pectins.
This product helps to increase immunity, hemoglobin, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, improves the functioning of the digestive system, and removes toxic substances from the body.
Vegetable has contraindications for use in kidney disease, diabetes, obesity due to the high content of sucrose.
Features of cultivation and cultivation conditions in Russia
Cultivation and planting of sugar beets is a very laborious process, requiring strict adherence to all deadlines and agricultural practices.
Crop rotation and the cultivation of predecessors favorable for beets - legumes, winter grain crops are important.
Seeding technology
The soil is plowed up in autumn, to a depth of 30 cm, having previously applied a full range of fertilizers. In the spring, before sowing, the soil is harrowed, cultivated and leveled.
Sugar beet seeds
Sow seeds at air temperature 8-10 degrees of heat to the depth 5 cm. 5 days after sowing, pre-emergence harrowing is carried out in order to destroy weeds and loosen the soil.
Seedlings appear already 8-10 days after sowing. The first loosening of the soil is carried out after the appearance of the first true leaves to a depth of 5-7 cm.
The next step - seedling thinning(bouquet). This is the most difficult, time-consuming, but important process, after which the strongest and strongest beet specimens remain on the field.
The subsequent care of the crop consists in loosening the soil between the rows and abundant watering. up to 4-5 times a month. Watering is stopped in the second half of September, 7-10 days before the start of harvesting.
Harvesting
Harvesting of sugar beets is carried out from late September to mid-October.
In different regions, harvesting begins at different times, approximately from the end of September to mid-October.
Green leaves are not able to persist for a long time, so the harvested culture immediately sent to processing plants. There, the process of obtaining sugar from rhizomes is launched, and the tops are processed for feed.
Obviously, the entire cycle of growing and processing vegetables is quite laborious and costly. Even though the productivity of this crop is 100%, it is quite difficult for producers to achieve good profitability from both crops and processing plants.
Nevertheless, sugar remains a highly demanded everyday food product, and its production is a well-founded and unconditional necessity.
While sugar is found in many plants, almost all of its industrial production comes from the raw materials of two crops*. These are sugar cane (about 2/3 of the total volume) and sugar beet (1/3), which give a product that differs little in terms of quality characteristics**.
Largest sugarcane producers, 1999 |
Largest sugar beet producers, 1999 |
The map shows countries that provide more than 1% of world production (more than 12 million tons each). Ten first manufacturers signed. |
The map shows the countries that account for more than 2 million tons of production. |
Major sugar producers, 1999 |
Major exporters of sugar, 1998 |
The map shows countries that provide more than 1% of world production (more than 1.5 million tons each). Ten first manufacturers signed. Note: The FAO reference books on which the map is based include for some countries data on the production of raw sugar (if raw is the end product within that country, that is, sugar is exported in the form of raw), and for some - finished white sugar ( granulated sugar). It is not entirely correct to summarize these data, but they reflect the real physical volumes of production. |
The map shows countries that provide more than 1% of world exports (more than 200 thousand tons each). Ten first exporters signed. Note: The FAO reference books on which the map is based include raw sugar export data for some countries (if raw sugar is exported) and finished white sugar (granulated sugar if exported) for some countries. It is not entirely correct to summarize these data, but they reflect the real physical volumes of trade. |
Sugarcane- a cereal plant that is demanding on heat and moisture, is grown in countries of the tropical zone, in areas where there is an alternation of dry and wet seasons favorable for this crop.
Sugarcane cultivation is carried out by two main types of agricultural enterprises. Large capitalist plantations, which dominate in developed countries and are becoming more widespread in developing ones, are producing at the most modern technological level - with the widespread use of machines and even computer technology, fertilizers are applied in significant quantities, and crops are often irrigated. The main competitive advantage of peasant farms, which concentrate a significant part of crop production, is cheap labor (to date, crop production has not been fully mechanized - logging is mainly done manually).
Brazil and India account for nearly half of the world's sugarcane production, while the top 10 countries account for 4/5. In India (more than 1/5 of the world production) production is high simply because it is a very populous country and sugar is needed in huge quantities for domestic consumption. Plantations are concentrated mainly along the southeast coast and in the Ganges valley. In general, most of the sugar cane produced in the world is intended to meet the needs of the population of the producing countries themselves, primarily developing ones. Therefore, sugarcane crops are most significant in the largest countries of the third world - of the six countries leading in its production, in five the population has crossed the hundred million mark or is close to it.
As for Brazil, the famous PROALCOL program contributed significantly to the expansion of cane crops, as part of which a part of the car fleet was transferred from gasoline fuel produced from imported oil to ethyl alcohol, which is produced from sugar cane. Most of the cane plantations are concentrated in the southeastern region of the country, especially in the state of São Paulo.
An impressive effect is given by the comparison of two maps - the production of cane and beet. One culture, as it were, serves as an antagonist to another: where there is reed, there is no beet, and vice versa. The point, of course, is not mutual repression. The point is the selectivity of cultures in relation to ecological niches, in the different requirements imposed by a particular culture on climatic conditions. Of the major producers, only three countries are simultaneously capable of significant production of both sugar crops: the United States and China - due to the significant length of territories crossing different climatic zones. Keeping their "heads" in the moderate cold, these countries are invading the tropics. Such diversity gives them obvious advantages in the world competition - a wide opportunity to maneuver, and not only in the field of sugar production. The Soviet Union, deprived of such a significant climatic diversity, nevertheless sought, at least in small volumes, at the level of agronomic experiments, to supplement its sugar beet production with its own cane production: in the south of Uzbekistan, in the Surkhandarya region. (the center - Termez) the state farm "Sugar cane" operated, the specialization of which is clear from the name. One of the products produced was high-quality rum. During the years of the stupid anti-alcohol campaign, the production of sugar cane was stopped. In the 1990s, the authorities of Uzbekistan, striving for food self-sufficiency, took steps to restore and expand sugar cane production. |
It is instructive to compare map charts showing the largest producers and exporters of sugar. The inconsistency is striking. Such major producers as India, China, and the USA do not at all appear among any significant exporters. Virtually all of the sugar produced in these large population countries is eaten locally. Moreover, two of these countries also import sugar in very large quantities: the USA - 3 million tons per year, China - 1 million. There is not a single European "sugar-beet" country among the significant exporters, not even France - the world's main sugar beet grower. (it also imports sugar - about 100 thousand tons per year). But on the map of world exporters there are several countries that are absent or barely visible on the map of producers: Cuba, Mauritius, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala (and even Swaziland). These are small sugar economies with a limited capacity of the domestic market, producing little sugar by world standards, but a lot by domestic standards, obviously export-oriented. Using the example of comparing two cards, it is good to explain to students what specialization is. In general, a relatively small part of the produced sugar enters the world market - in different years 1/5-1/7. (Therefore, by the way, on the chart diagrams for production and export, different scales of bars are chosen: otherwise, exports would not be visible.) And in terms of value, the annual turnover of sugar in foreign markets is not so impressive: all exports are estimated at 6-7 billion dollars. There are, however, several notable coincidences in the list of leading producers and leading exporters: first of all, Brazil and Australia. These are countries with large diversified economies, rather capacious domestic markets, but due to their historically subordinate place in the world economy and due to their high natural resource endowment, they have chosen an export-raw material orientation in foreign markets. |
Developed countries provide less than 10% of the world collections, since the territories of most of them lie outside the ecological niche of sugar cane. Significant producers are Australia and the USA*** (the Hawaiian Islands have almost the highest yield of this crop in the world), as well as South Africa.
Among the regions of the world, the most "sugar-cane" is Latin America - about 2/5 of the world production. Its share in sugar exports is even higher. In addition to favorable climatic conditions, the development of cultural production in the region was facilitated by the long-term availability of cheap slave labor and historically close ties with the metropolises, where the main part of the produced sugar was originally exported. In addition to Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Guatemala and Cuba are major producers of sugar cane; in the territory of the latter, sugar cane occupies almost half of the cultivated area****. This culture plays an exceptionally large role for some small tropical island states - in the West Indies (Haiti, Dominican Republic), in the Indian ("sugar bowl" of the British Empire was considered Mauritius) and the Pacific (Fiji) oceans.
The location of sugarcane crops is closely tied to sugar factories (transportation over 30-40 km is undesirable, since the stalks quickly lose their sugar content after they are cut down and do not withstand long-distance transportation; in addition, transporting stalks containing a lot of water over long distances and fiber would be disadvantageous even if they were transportable). Sugar mills, in turn, gravitate towards coastal areas and ports of export of agricultural raw materials, if sugar is produced for export, or to areas with high population density, where the main consumers are concentrated and at the same time there are enough workers for the production of this labour-intensive crop.
The fact that a significant part of the crops are in the Southern Hemisphere smooths out seasonal fluctuations in the prices of raw materials for the sugar industry.
Sugarcane cultivation is possible in most countries of the tropical and equatorial belts. Cane did not take root in a temperate climate, and Europe has long been faced with a dilemma - either to completely depend on the import of cane sugar from the tropics, or to purposefully create a substitute culture.
Sugar beet became the raw material for sugar production later than sugar cane, and this was preceded by intensive breeding work to develop varieties with a high sugar content. The spread of sugar beet was largely associated with the policy of the states of the temperate zone to stimulate import substitution and form their own production of an important element of the diet.
Among sugar beet producers, unlike cane producers, there are no clear leaders. France, which occupies the first place, provides 12% of the "sweet root" collection (crops are concentrated in the northern regions of the country). The United States, where sugar beet is grown mainly on irrigated land, and Germany, followed by 11% and 10% of production, respectively. However, the territorial concentration of the placement of crops of this crop is almost as high as in sugar cane production: 10 leading sugar beet growers provide 3/4 of the world harvest. Previously, Russia and Ukraine were close to the top three countries, but in recent years, sugar beet harvests in them have significantly decreased, now they account for 6% of the gross world harvest, losing fourth place to Turkey (8%).
Among the main producers are the large states of the temperate zone in terms of population: out of the top ten, only Poland has a population of less than 60 million. Thus, as in the case of sugar cane, a clear attraction to the consumer is noticeable.
The main part of sugar beet crops is concentrated in Europe (about 55%), where this is favored by climatic conditions and a high degree of mechanization of agriculture. Large producers in this region, in addition to France, are Belgium, Great Britain, Spain, Italy. Of the Asian states, except for Turkey, large areas of sugar beet are sown only in China, Iran and Japan.
Sugar beet plantations, as well as sugar cane, are characterized by a clear attachment to sugar factories, areas with a high rural population density.
* In addition, there are more exotic sources of sugar - sugar maple cultivated in Canada, sugar sorghum, watermelon (so-called watermelon honey is obtained from watermelon juice, or nardek), melon, wine palm and carob, the fruits of which contain up to 50% sugar.
** It is interesting to note that for some types of confectionery production, it is beet sugar that is required, and for some, on the contrary, cane sugar is required.
*** The largest producing state is Florida, which provides half of the US harvest (the plantations of this heat-loving crop are mainly on the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee). See: G.D. Kostinsky. Florida//Geography, No. 37/2000, p. 13.
**** See: A.S. Naumov. Sugar Island//Geography, No. 45/2000 (special issue: Cuba), With. eighteen.
General characteristics. Sugar beet is one of the main industrial crops of the Russian Federation. It provides raw materials for obtaining the most valuable food product - sugar. Of the total sugar production in the world, sugar beet accounts for about 40%, and in countries with a moderately warm and temperate climate, it is the only source of this product. In the root crops of cultivated varieties and hybrids of sugar beet, under favorable conditions, 16-20% of sugar accumulates. Its output during processing at factories is 12-15%. With a high yield of beet roots (40-50 t/ha), the sugar harvest can be 7-8 t/ha or more.
Of great value for livestock is the by-products obtained during the cultivation of sugar beets and the processing of root crops at sugar factories - leaves, pulp and molasses.
The largest part of the waste is leaves - 35-50% of the mass of the roots; they contain 15-22% dry matter, including 2.5-3.5% protein, 0.8% fat, vitamins, and in terms of nutritional value they are not inferior to the green mass of seeded grasses. 100 kg of leaves contains 22 feed. units and 2.1-2.2 kg of digestible protein. However, oxalic acid salts found in sugar beet leaves, if fed abundantly, can cause a violation of calcium metabolism in the animal's body and diarrhea.
The pulp has a great fodder value. Bagasse (pressed beet chips) contains (%): dry substances - about 15, including nitrogen-free extractive substances (NES) - 10, fiber - 3, ash - 0.7, fat - 0.1 and crude protein - 1, 2. 100 kg of fresh pulp contains 8 feed. units and 0.9 kg of digestible protein, and 100 kg of dry pulp - 85 feed. units and 3.9 kg of digestible protein.
Of the by-products obtained during the processing of root crops, the most valuable is molasses, 100 kg of which contains 77-85 feed. units and 4.5 kg of digestible protein. The dry matter of molasses (molasses) contains: sugar - about 60%, BEV - about 15%, ash - 8-9%. Molasses serves as a raw material for the production of alcohol, glycerin, nutritional yeast, citric acid, etc.
The fodder value of all types of by-products obtained during the processing of sugar beet, including leaves, with a yield of 25-30 t/ha is 5000 fodder. units
In some regions of our country, sugar beet is grown as a fodder crop - root crops and tops are used for feeding livestock. 100 kg of sugar beet roots contain 26 feed. units and 1.2 kg of digestible protein.
The defecation obtained during the purification of sugar juice in factories is used as a lime fertilizer on soils with high acidity. Dried to a loose state (moisture content 25-30%), it contains (%): CaCO 3 - 60-75, organic substances - 10-15, N - 0.2-1.7, P 2 0 5 - 0.2- 0.8, K 2 0 - 0.5-0.9.
Waste obtained during the harvesting of sugar beet (leaves, tops of heads, tips of root crops) is used for livestock feed in fresh, ensiled and dried form.
Sugar beet roots contain 2 times more dry matter than fodder beet roots. With a root crop yield of 30 t/ha, sugar beet, together with tops (15 t/ha), provides 10,500 fodder units/ha.
The inclusion of sugar beet in the crop rotation is of great agrotechnical importance, as it helps to improve the culture of agriculture and the yield of subsequent crops due to deep tillage, the introduction of high rates of fertilizers, and the control of weeds and pests on its crops.
Root sugar beets appeared in the 18th century. as a result of selection from natural hybrids of leaf beet (chard) and low sugar root beet fodder type. As suggested by I.A. Minkevich, leaf beet was introduced into cultivation in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers around 2000 BC. It is still found on the coasts of the Mediterranean, Caspian and Black Seas, in Transcaucasia and Asia Minor.
Sugar beet is a relatively young crop. Until the beginning of the XIX century. Sugar cane is the only source of sugar in the world. The countries of Western Europe (England, France, Portugal, Spain, Holland, etc.), which owned colonies in the tropics and subtropics where sugar cane was grown, were the main suppliers of sugar on the international market. At the end of the XVIII century. wars between individual countries of Western Europe disrupted normal ties with the colonies. England stopped importing sugar to Europe. This made it necessary to look for other sources of raw materials to obtain it.
In 1747, the German scientist A. Markgraf, in laboratory conditions, obtained a white crystalline substance similar to cane sugar from beet roots. However, this message did not attract enough attention. Only in 1797, his student, the German scientist F. Achard, proposed a method for producing sugar from beets using sulfuric acid to purify the juice. In 1801, the first plant for the production of sugar from beets based on this method was built in Germany.
In our country, sugar from the roots of beets and pumpkins was first obtained by the teacher of Moscow University I.Ya. Bindheim in 1792. Sugar beet roots at that time contained no more than 7% sucrose.
In 1801, in the village of Alyabyevo, Tula province, the first sugar factory was built, which produced 120 pounds of beet sugar in a year. By 1810, 10 factories were operating in Russia and producing 1000 poods of sugar per year, and by 1850 there were already more than 350 factories that produced about 1 million poods of sugar annually.
In world agriculture, sugar beet occupies a significant area, its crops currently amount to about 9 million hectares. Below is sugar beet production (Mt) by leading producing countries (FAO):
In European countries, beet sugar produces about 60% of the total collection in the world.
Sugar beet sown area in the Russian Federation is currently about 1 million hectares. The main areas of its cultivation are located in the Central Black Earth region, in the North Caucasus, in the Non-Chernozem zone, Western Siberia and the Far East.
Sugar beet is a high-yielding crop. The average yield of root crops in the world is about 34 t/ha, and in countries with a high culture of agriculture (in France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Japan, USA) - 50-60 t/ha. The average yield of sugar beet in the Russian Federation in the last decade is about 35 t/ha. Higher yields - 40-50 t / ha are obtained in the Krasnodar Territory, Kursk and Belgorod Regions.
Botanical description. Beet genus beta haze family (Chenopodiaceae) represented by annual, biennial and perennial species. Historically, it was formed in the Mediterranean floristic region.
View beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) includes several subspecies, including ssp. vulgaris L.- a polymorphic combined subspecies that combines all cultivated biennial and annual forms of beets. In turn, this subspecies is divided into varieties: sugar beet(v. sacharifera), table beet(at. esculenta), fodder beet(at. crassa) and leaf beet, or chard(at. cycle).
Cultivated sugar beet is a hybrid organism resulting from spontaneous crossing of leaf and root forms of beet and improved by long-term selection. It has a two-year development cycle.
In the first year of life, sugar beet forms a thickened root crop with a rosette of many (50-90) basal petiole leaves, the surface of which on one plant reaches 3000 cm 2 or more (Fig. 7.1). In the second year of life, leafy ribbed flower-bearing shoots (testes) develop from the germinating buds of the head of the root crop, reaching a height of 1.0-1.5 m. The inflorescence of the culture is a whorled spike-shaped brush. The flowers that form in the upper part of the peduncles are bisexual, quintuple type. Pollination is cross-pollinated by wind (anemophilic) and partly by insects. Fruit -
Rice. 7.1 . Sugar beet nut.
The roots of an adult plant of the first year of life have long root hairs (up to 3 mm), reach a depth of 3 m and extend to the sides by 60 cm. cm, and by the time the first pair of true leaves appears, to a depth of up to 30 cm. From this time on, the main root begins to thicken due to cell division of the pericycle and parenchyma of the primary bast. The primary root bark in the phase of three pairs of leaves cracks and comes off (root molting), being replaced by a secondary bark dressed with a layer of cork tissue. In the future, along with an increase in the number of leaves, a thickening and growth of the main root occurs - the formation of a root crop.
The root crop is formed as a result of the activity of several (up to 12) successively replacing each other cambial rings of vascular fibrous bundles. Parenchymal tissue grows between these rings, in the cells of which the bulk of sugar is deposited (Fig. 7.2).
With high agricultural technology, parenchymal tissue develops strongly in beets, which leads to the formation of large and heavy root crops (weight 300-500 g or more). The root crop of an adult sugar beet plant has a conical shape, in the central part it is cylindrical, somewhat ribbed, without branching, with an underdeveloped head, lateral roots are located in two rows. The color is white, the flesh is dense.
Rice. 7.2.
7 - bark; 2, 3, 4, 5 - parenchymal tissue; 6 - cambial ring
In the structure of the root crop, there are head(a shortened stem - epicotyl), which bears leaves and buds; neck(subcotyl knee - hypo-cotyl), on which there are no leaves and roots, and actual root(conical part of the root), on the surface of which lateral roots are formed.
Technically mature root crops contain an average of 75% water and 25% dry matter, the main part of which is 17.5% sucrose and 7.5% non-sugar. Of the total amount of "non-sugars", about 5% are insoluble (fiber - 2.5, pectin - 2.4, proteins and ash - 0.1%). Soluble "nesa-haram" includes fructose, glucose (invert sugar) and other nitrogen-free substances (0.8%), nitrogenous substances (1.1%) and ash (0.6%).
In a technical sense, only sucrose is called sugar (cane or beet sugar is a disaccharide C 12 H 2 20c). All other carbohydrates and other organic and mineral substances are "non-sugars". Their content varies depending on the variety, area of cultivation and agricultural technology. The most harmful are soluble pectin substances that pass into the juice, greatly complicate its filtration and interfere with the crystallization of sugar. The nitrogenous substances that make up beet juice are divided into two groups: harmless (protein substances) and harmful (betaine, amides, dyes, etc.). The latter do not precipitate in the process of sugar production and pass into molasses.
The main indicators of the quality of factory-made sugar beets, in addition to sugar content, are the good quality of the juice, i.e. the percentage of sugar in dissolved dry matter, as well as the content of invert sugar (a mixture of glucose and fructose) and "harmful" (non-protein) nitrogen. The distribution of sugar in the beet root crop is uneven: its largest amount is contained in the middle part (neck), the least amount of sugar is in the head and the lowest part (“tail”) of the root crop (Fig. 7.3).
Rice. 7.3.
biological features.
Features of growth and development. For a complete development cycle, sugar beet in the first year of life requires a sum of active temperatures (above 10°C) of 2200-3000°C. The vegetation period in the first year of life is 130-180 days, in the second - 100-130 days. During the growing season in sugar beet plants of the first year of life, the following phases of growth and development are distinguished: seed germination, fork, first pair of leaves, second or third pair of leaves, seventh leaf, closing of leaves in rows, closing of leaves in aisles and the onset of technical ripeness.
The germination of beet seeds is associated with the swelling of seedlings - glomeruli. During this period, sugar beet seeds absorb 130-170% of moisture from their air-dry mass. In the process of water entering the glomeruli, the enzymatic activity of the seed is activated, as a result of which complex organic compounds are converted into simple ones and the seed enters the germination period. When seeds germinate, the germinal root and subcotyledon first begin to grow (Fig. 7.4). Two cotyledons turn green when they reach the surface and perform the function of leaves (fork phase). After 6-8 days after the appearance of the cotyledons, the first pair of true leaves is formed, followed by the second and third pairs. At this stage of organogenesis, the anatomical structure of the root changes, rupture and shedding of the primary cortex, or root molting, occur. In the future, the leaves unfold already one at a time. At first, they appear every 2-3 days, and in the middle of the growing season - after 1-2 days. At the end of the growing season, the appearance of leaves slows down.
Rice. 7.4.
In the first year of life, beet plants form 60-90 leaves, which remain active for 60-70 days. The most productive are the leaves of the middle tier (from the 10th to the 25th). The average duration of active activity of each leaf is about 25 days. By the time of harvesting, the net productivity of photosynthesis decreases, the mass of leaves decreases. The optimal leaf area per 1 ha of beet plantation is 40-50 thousand m 2 .
In the first year of life of sugar beets (according to Stebut and Pryanishnikov), three periods can be distinguished:
- 1) the period of initial formation, when plants vigorously form leaves and root system, the growth of the root crop in thickness lags behind the growth of leaves (May-June);
- 2) the period of increased growth of the root crop and leaves (July-August). During this period, the average growth of the root crop is 5 g / day, the maximum achieved is up to 10-15 g or more;
- 3) the period is characterized by slow growth of leaves and roots (2.5-7 g per day) and intensive accumulation of carbohydrates (September-October). Sugar content on average per day increases by 0.05-0.1%.
In the first year of life, dormant buds are laid on the head of the root crop in the axil of each leaf, for the development of which low temperatures are required - from 0 to 8 ° C. Apical buds of autumn formation develop under more favorable conditions. Qualitative changes for the transition to flowering and fruiting in the buds end in the fall or spring of the next year, after planting the root crops, flower stalks are formed, on which flowers and seeds develop. Sometimes, in some sugar beet plants, deviations from the normal two-year development cycle are observed - from sowing seeds to harvesting seeds. In this case, in individual plants, the full cycle of development of dormant buds and the formation of flowering shoots occur in the first year of life - this phenomenon is called flowering. The reasons for flowering are early sowing in a cold, long spring and long daylight hours. Flowering root crops are low in sugar and coarse; during storage, they are more affected by clamp rot.
Some root crops planted in the second year for seed purposes, on the contrary, do not produce flowering shoots and form only a rosette of leaves. Such plants are called "stubborn". They appear under the influence of elevated temperatures during early harvesting, due to autumn and spring drying of the uterine root crops, and elevated temperatures during storage. "Stubborn" begin to bear fruit in the third year. The presence of "stubborn" among seed plantings significantly reduces the seed yield.
Sugar beets are distinguished by botanical, biological and technical ripeness. Botanical ripeness occurs when the seeds ripen. With normal growth and development of plants, this usually occurs at the end of the second year of life.
The biological ripeness of the sugar beet in the first year of life is associated with the attenuation of the life processes of the plant at the end of the growing season as a result of changes in environmental conditions: cooling, shortening of daylight hours, a decrease in PAR, etc. Biological ripeness is characterized by the death of old leaves, a slow increase in the mass of root crops and the accumulation of sugar in them, increasing the good quality of juice, reducing the content of water and ash in root crops.
The technical ripeness of sugar beet is characterized by the largest mass of the root crop and the maximum sugar content with a minimum average daily weight gain and sugar content of the root crop. By the time of technical ripeness, the ratio of the mass of the root crop to the mass of the leaves increases to 3: 1. Before its onset, the beet rows open, the leaves become light green, partially turn yellow and die.
Rice. 7.5.
To obtain beet seeds, root crops grown in the first year of life are dug up, stored during the winter and planted in the spring in the ground. From the sprouting buds of the head, leafy ribbed flower-bearing shoots develop, reaching a height of 100-150 cm (Fig. 7.5).
Flowers are formed in the upper part of the peduncles in the axils of the bracts in groups of 3-4 or more in multi-seeded varieties or singly in single-seeded varieties (hybrids). In some beet biotypes, with the normal development of female organs, underdevelopment of male organs is noted (anthers do not contain pollen). In this case, the plants exhibit cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS).
Rice. 7.6.
This feature is used in breeding work to obtain highly productive hybrids.
When ripe, the fruits turn yellow and, in multi-seeded beets, grow together into seedlings (glomerules) consisting of 2-6 nuts, and in single-seeded beets, the glomerulus consists of one nut (Fig. 7.6). The mass of 1000 multi-seeded beets is from 20 to 50 g, and that of a single-seeded beet is about 13-20 g. The seed in the fruit has a brown shiny shell and makes up 25-30% of the mass of the glomerulus. The seed consists of a shell and an embryo, which has two cotyledons and a bud between them, a hypocotyl knee, an embryonic root and a perisperm with nutrient reserves (Fig. 7.7).
Rice. 7.7.
7 - cotyledons; 2 - spine; 3 - perisperm; 4 - seed coat; 5 - endosperm
requirements for environmental factors.
temperature requirements. Sugar beet is moderately thermophilic. The minimum soil temperature required for seed germination is 3-4°C, but shoots appear only on the 25th-28th day, at a temperature of 6-7°C - on the 10-15th day, at 10-1 HS - on the 8-10th day and at 15-18°C - on the 6-7th day.
Cotyledon leaves of beet seedlings are very sensitive to frost. In the fork phase, frosts from -3 to -4°C are detrimental to plants. With the appearance of the first pair of leaves, the cold resistance of plants increases and the beets can withstand frosts from -4 to -6 ° C. The optimum temperature for assimilation is 20-23°C. At temperatures below 6-8°C, the accumulation of sugar in root crops stops. The temperature of 15-23°C is favorable for the formation of reproductive buds on the heads of root crops. In autumn, when the temperature reaches 2-4°C, the beet vegetation stops. With the onset of autumn frosts, sugar beet roots freeze without changing the amount of sugar in them, however, after thawing, the sugar content of root crops decreases sharply due to the transition of sucrose into monosaccharides, while their keeping quality decreases and decay increases.
Sugar beet root crops are well stored at a temperature of 3-4°C, an interval of 1-6°C is acceptable.
The regrowth of rosette leaves in sugar beet seedlings begins at 2-3°C. The most favorable conditions for the growth of rosette leaves, stems and the formation of reproductive organs are formed at a temperature of 15-20°C.
Seed plants in the phase of rosette leaves tolerate negative temperatures from -4 to -6°C, and during the growth of flowering shoots, frosts from -1 to -2°C can damage plants.
moisture requirements. Sugar beet is a relatively drought-resistant plant. It economically consumes moisture: it consumes 350-450 units of water per unit of dry matter, i.e. less than many field crops. However, due to the high yield, the total moisture consumption per unit area is 1.5-2 times higher than that of other field crops. For the formation of 1 ton of root crops, depending on life factors, sugar beet consumes from 60 to 145 m 3 of water. The high drought resistance of sugar beet is due to the fact that it forms a deeply penetrating root system - up to 2-3 m. This helps the beet to use the soil moisture accumulated due to precipitation in the autumn-winter period. Sugar beet, especially seed plants, does not tolerate waterlogging and close standing of groundwater (no closer than 1.5-2.0 m from the soil surface). With a long growing season, beets make good use of summer rainfall. In years with increased rainfall, root crop yields are usually high, but sugar content is reduced.
The most favorable conditions for the growth and development of beet plants in the first year of life are formed with warm and humid weather in May, cool and humid - in June and July, with sufficient rainfall and sunny days - in August, warm and moderately humid weather - in September and October.
Moisture consumption by sugar beet during the growing season is not the same. So, during the period of intensive growth of leaves (from sowing to the end of June), sugar beet consumes about 10-15% of all moisture, during the period of intensive growth of root crops (from July to mid-August) - 60-70%, and during the period of intensive accumulation of carbohydrates ( from mid-August to October) - about 20-30% of all moisture consumed. The lack of moisture in any of these periods adversely affects the yield of beets. However, the yield of root crops and their sugar content decrease most of all when the plants are exposed to drought during the period of intensive growth - in July-August. Optimal conditions for sugar beet develop when soil moisture is from 70 to 100% of the lowest moisture capacity (LW).
Sugar beet plants of the second year of life in relation to moisture differ significantly from plants of the first year of life. In sugar beet seedlings, the growth of the above-ground mass is much faster than the growth of the root system. This discrepancy affects the water consumption of the testes. In the second year of life, the most favorable soil moisture is in the soil layer of 0-50 cm (75-100% HB). Reducing it to 70% or a content above 100% leads to a suspension of stem growth and a decrease in seed yield. Sugar beet seedlings suffer more from drought than first-year beets. Seed yield is formed mainly due to rainfall during the growing season. Sugar beet seedlings experience the greatest need for water in the period from the formation of peduncles to the end of flowering. Flowering usually begins in mid-June and lasts 20-40 days.
Light requirements. Sugar beet is a long day plant. With an increase in the period of illumination during the day, plants develop faster, their leaves and roots grow better, and the accumulation of sugar in them increases. Shading beet plants in thickened crops leads to a decrease in their growth rate and the accumulation of sugar in them.
The sugar content of beets largely depends on the intensity of solar insolation in the second half of the growing season. The most intense intake of sugar into root crops occurs when clear sunny weather alternates with cloudy weather.
soil requirements. Sugar beet is very demanding on soil fertility, their physical condition, provision of macro- and microelements. The best for it are soils that are well structured, have high moisture and air capacity, and maintain optimal density throughout the growing season. Beets grow best on chernozems, gray and dark gray forest loamy soils rich in humus. Low-lying and floodplain soils are quite suitable for it. Good yields are also obtained on rich in organic matter and well-cultivated meadow and meadow-marsh, fertilized and provided with moisture, dark chestnut, deeply cultivated fertile soddy-podzolic soils of the Non-Chernozem Zone. The most favorable for the development of beets is a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction of the soil solution (pH 7.0-7.5). On acidic soils, without prior liming, beets give low yields. Sugar beet is able to adapt to slightly saline soils. It is impossible to place beets on heavy clay, swampy, poor sandy and stony soils.
Sugar beets place high demands on soil aeration. The most favorable conditions for the growth of beets are formed with the following indicators of the bulk soil mass: chernozems - 1.0-1.2, chestnut and gray forest - 1.2-1.3, sod-podzolic - 1.2-1.4 g / cm 3.
Requirements for mineral nutrition elements. Sugar beet is very responsive to good mineral nutrition - even on highly fertile chernozems, when organic and mineral fertilizers are applied, it gives a significant increase in yield. For the formation of the crop, sugar beet consumes 2-3 times more nutrients than cereals. For the formation of 1 ton of root crops and the corresponding amount of tops, sugar beet consumes nitrogen - 6.5 kg; phosphorus - 1.5 kg; potassium - 8.5 kg and a large number of trace elements.
Nitrogen is one of the main nutrients. Sugar beet consumes it throughout the growing season, but the maximum amount is in the first half of the growing season. Insufficient nitrogen supply leads to yellowing of leaves, early death of old leaves, formation of small root crops of medium quality. At the same time, an excess of nitrogen during the period of sugar accumulation is undesirable. Abundant nitrogen nutrition at this time causes intensive formation of new leaves, which consumes plastic substances, including sugar, which leads to a decrease in the sugar content in root crops. The effectiveness of nitrogen fertilizers increases significantly in years with increased rainfall, while ammoniacal forms of nitrogen are preferred. When nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil, the mobilization of nitrogen of organic matter increases, as a result of which it becomes more available to plants, and this improves the growth and development of sugar beets.
Phosphorus is consumed by sugar beet plants relatively evenly throughout the growing season, but plants absorb it most intensively in the initial period of development. Its deficiency in the early period of growth strongly affects the further development of plants, while the late application of phosphorus does not compensate for the lag in plant development and does not increase the yield of sugar beets.
Phosphorus improves the conditions for the growth of leaves, the root system, and promotes its rapid penetration into the lower soil horizons. With a sufficient supply of phosphorus, sugar beet plants are highly drought-resistant, less affected by fungal diseases during the growing season and during storage of root crops.
Potassium in root crops accumulates almost until harvest, but it is especially necessary for young plants. Potassium increases the area of leaves, improves the photosynthetic activity of plants, improves their cold resistance and drought resistance, resistance to diseases, improves the quality and keeping quality of root crops. The vital activity of protoplasm, the formation and movement of carbohydrates, and other physiological processes depend on the availability of potassium. With a lack of potassium, the beet leaf blades dry up along the edges, starting with the most active middle leaves. At the same time, the sugar content in root crops is sharply reduced.
Microelements play an important role in the life of sugar beet plants: sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, copper.
Varieties and hybrids. At present, up to 90% of the area under beet crops in the Russian Federation is occupied by one-seeded varieties and hybrids. They are just as productive as multi-seeded ones, but their cultivation allows expanding the possibilities of using mechanized crop care and reducing manual labor costs by 50% or more.
Varieties and hybrids of sugar beet according to economic characteristics are divided into three groups: high-yielding, high-yielding-sugar and sugary. Most varieties and hybrids belong to the group fruitful-sugar (N.- normal), combining a high yield of root crops with their high sugar content and providing the highest collection of sugar per unit area. Varieties and hybrids productive direction (E.- Ertrag) give a high yield of root crops of medium sugar content, so they usually have a lower sugar yield per unit of processed raw materials. Varieties and hybrids sugar direction(Z- Zucker characterized by high sugar content, but a reduced yield of root crops. The yield of sugar per unit of raw material depends on the characteristics of the variety, the level of agricultural technology and environmental conditions.
The state register of breeding achievements approved for use in the Russian Federation currently includes more than 330 varieties and hybrids of sugar beet. Here are some of them (in alphabetical order): Alena KVS, Alexandria KVS, Batika, Bellini, Vavilov, Helios, Ivagra, Cascade 3, Crystal, Lada, Leme 65, Lgovskaya one-seeded 52, Milord, Ramonskaya one-seeded 47, Ramonskaya one-seeded 99, RMS 70, Selena, Suvorov, Sheriff, Yaroslav, Yashin.
cultivation technology.
Good results in the cultivation of sugar beet can be achieved only with a high level of farming in all fields of crop rotation. To obtain high yields of sugar beet, it is necessary: to ensure a general high culture of agriculture with an optimal level of soil fertility and low weediness of fields, to apply the required amount of organic and mineral fertilizers, to apply a soil cultivation system that ensures the preservation of their fertility and moisture conservation, to sow at optimal times and carefully prepared soil, giving preference to the precise sowing of pelleted or encrusted single-sprout seeds, to effectively control weeds, pests and diseases, using agrotechnical and chemical methods of control.
Place in crop rotation. To ensure sufficient sanitary protection of sugar beet in the crop rotation, it should be returned to its original place no earlier than after 3-4 years. Therefore, the share of sugar beet in the crop rotation should not exceed 20-25%.
The premature return of sugar beet to its original place is accompanied by the accumulation of pathogens and pests. In this case, its defeat by the beet nematode is possible. (Negogobega BsIaskSh), known as beet soil fatigue, which leads to large crop losses. On soils moderately affected by the nematode, beets should be returned to their original place after 5 years, and on heavily affected soils - not earlier than after 6-7 years.
If the required period for the return of beets to their original place is not observed, the risk of damage by the causative agent of rhizomania (root hairiness) increases. The virus lives in the soil and is carried by soil fungi. Poutlha beleae. The infection does not disappear even when the sugar beet returns to its former field after 12-15 years.
Beets should not be placed in the vicinity of the field where they were placed last year, as well as in the immediate vicinity of shrubs, forest edges and forest belts, where they can be affected by shield beetles, beet fleas, and haze bug, which is a carrier of leaf curl virus.
For beet crop rotations, highly fertile fields with good physical soil properties and a deep arable layer are distinguished. The crop is placed on such predecessors that ensure the cleanliness of the fields from weeds and a good water regime of the soil, allow the application of organic and mineral, and, if necessary, lime fertilizers, and timely and high-quality processing of the field from autumn. In almost all beet-growing areas, the best crop precursors are winter wheat and rye, running on a clean or busy fallow, perennial grasses that meet the above requirements. In the Altai Territory, sugar beets are placed in clean fallows, and in areas of irrigated beet sowing - after winter and spring crops, perennial grasses.
Sugar beet is a good forerunner for many field crops: annual grasses, grain legumes, cereals and early grain crops (except oats).
Soil cultivation. Sugar beet places high demands on tillage. When carrying out tillage, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for the emergence and growth of sugar beet plants. With all methods of tillage, stubble breaking and deep plowing are important techniques to increase soil moisture and effectively control weeds.
In fields that are early freed from the previous crop, the plowing is carried out in a semi-fallow type with further surface treatments to control weeds. When the fields are clogged with annual weeds (white marya, amaranth, blue foxtail, etc.), tillage begins with post-harvest plowing with disc cultivators LDG-10, LDG-15, Rubin by Lemken, Katraz by Amazone, etc. to a depth of 6 -8 cm. With a rhizomatous type of infestation (couch grass), peeling is carried out to a depth of 8-10 cm with disc cultivators in two directions. In fields littered with root-weed weeds (field sow thistle, sow-thistle, etc.), it is effective to use share cultivators of the PPL-10-25, Torit, Smaragt types with processing to a depth of 12-14 cm. One to two weeks after peeling as weed seedlings appear and for the purpose of planting fertilizers, plowing is carried out with plows PUN-8-40, PRUN-8-45 (01-03), PNL-8-40, PLN-5-35, PO-4-40, PPO -8-40, "Euro-Opal", "Euro-Diamant", etc. to a depth of 27-30 cm. In the future, as weeds appear, surface treatments are carried out to control weeds with cultivators KPS-8, KPM-10, KShU-12N, KPK-8S, FANTOM, etc. to a depth of 6-8 cm.
In dry conditions, the most effective system improvedchilly, in which, after harvesting the predecessor, disk peeling is carried out to a depth of 6-8 cm, and after 10-12 days, peeling is repeated with share cultivators to a depth of 10-12 cm. Further, as weeds appear, continuous cultivation is carried out. Fall plowing is carried out in the first or second decade of October to a depth of 27-30 cm.
In fields heavily infested with perennial weeds, continuous herbicides based on glyphosate are sprayed (Sprut Extra, BP (2.5-4.0 l/ha), etc.). The treatment is carried out by sprayers OP-2000, OPSh-15, S-320, Columbia AM-14 and others at a perennial weed height of 10-15 cm and an ambient temperature of at least 10°C. It is advisable to apply herbicides not throughout the field, but only in weedy areas.
On soils subject to wind erosion, non-moldboard loosening is carried out to a depth of 30-32 cm, having previously covered the manure with a heavy disc harrow. In this case, we should expect an increase in weed infestation of beet crops, since non-moldboard tillage creates conditions for weed seeds to germinate quickly.
Practice issues
With the proliferation of navigation systems and thrusters, new tillage opportunities have opened up that can maximize the benefits of conservation farming technologies. Strip-Till technology shows excellent results in the cultivation of row crops such as corn, sunflower, sugar beet, soybeans. Within the framework of strip-till loosening technology (Strip-Till), only loosening of the strip is carried out, into which cultivated plants are then sown, and about 2/3 of the field remains uncultivated. As a rule, with strip loosening, tillage consists of only two working operations: loosening in autumn or spring, then sowing in loosened strips. With the help of Strip Tillage technology, 20-30% of the soil surface is processed and loosened, most of it remains uncultivated and retains its structure.
In zones with a shortened autumn period (Central region, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan), after the fields are liberated from the predecessor, they are limited to single peeling, preferably with share cultivators, and deep plowing is carried out after 12-15 days. In regions of the Volga region with insufficient moisture, a combined method can be used: after harvesting the predecessor, plowing is carried out with disc cultivators, and then plowed to a depth of 20-22 cm with plows with skimmers. At the end of September, deep loosening of the fallow is carried out to a depth of 32-35 cm with chisel plows. The same tillage gives good results on gray forest soils of the Non-Chernozem and northern Central Chernozem zones, as well as on southern chernozems with a shallow humus layer.
On sloping soils, an effective method of combating water erosion is the splitting of fallow in the pre-winter period across the slopes. It is carried out by a slit-mole slitter, with which two slits 40-50 cm deep are cut at a distance of 140 cm from each other with ribbons every 6-10 m, depending on the steepness of the slope.
Pre-sowing tillage includes early spring loosening, leveling the soil surface and pre-sowing cultivation. Early spring closure of moisture should be carried out when the physical ripeness of the soil occurs with wide-cut units on the traction of energy-saturated tractors (MTZ-1221) with twin wheels at a working depth of 4-5 cm. Harrowing is started selectively as each field is ready. The best loosening of the soil and leveling of the surface is ensured by the combined use of harrows and loops along the diagonal of the field. The number of passes of the unit and the order of placement of harrows and loops in it is determined by the state of the soil surface. It is necessary to strive to reduce the number of operations carried out in order to avoid unnecessary costs, drying up and soil compaction.
When processing a ridge-blocky soil surface in one pass, trails are placed in the first row, and harrows in the second; with a confluent and swollen state of the soil, on the contrary, in the first row - harrows, in the second - trains. Better crumbling with simultaneous leveling of the soil surface is usually achieved in two passes. First, the field is harrowed with heavy harrows (BZTS-1.0) in combination with light sowing harrows (ZPB-06). Then, during the second pass, grinding (ShB-2.5) is carried out with harrowing with seed harrows (ZBP-06). The gap between the first and second passes is 1-2 hours. On loose soil, it is enough to make one pass of the unit, consisting of trailing harrows and light harrows.
On leveled arable land (semi-fallow), early spring tillage is carried out with an aggregate consisting of medium harrows in the first row and sowing harrows in the second.
Excessively loose soil after sanding and harrowing can be compacted with ring-spur or heavy smooth rollers in combination with light harrows.
Immediately before sowing, after the application of solid mineral fertilizers, micronutrient fertilizers and soil herbicides, the treatment is carried out with combined aggregates AKSH-7.2 (AKSH-6; AKSH-3.6), Europack, Cyclocyl-Leer, etc. to a depth of 2- 3 cm on cohesive soils and no deeper than 3-4 cm - on light ones, so that the beet seeds lie on a dense, moist layer and close with a 2-3 cm loose layer of soil. Then soil moisture, heat and oxygen freely flow to the seeds. It is important that the top layer of soil above the seeds be finely cloddy with lump sizes from 1 to 10 mm. With an increase in their size, the field germination of seeds decreases. In conditions of increased moisture, heavy floating soils are cultivated twice: after early spring harrowing - to a depth of 8-10 cm and immediately before sowing - to the depth of sowing seeds. In conditions of insufficient and unstable moisture in dry spring, loose soil is rolled before sowing. For high-quality preparation of the soil for sowing, pre-sowing units are launched across the direction of plowing at an angle of 6-8 ° to the direction of sowing.
In the system of pre-sowing tillage, an important place is occupied by the timely application of soil herbicides, which inhibit the emergence of weed sprouts for 30 days, after which their protective effect decreases.
In the zone of sufficient and unstable moisture, it is advisable to use Betanal 22, KE (1 l/ha), Betaren Express AM, KE (2-4 l/ha), Goltix, VRG (1.5-2.0 kg/ha), etc. ., the most mildly acting on beet plants. In the arid zone, it is better to use Dual Gold, EC (1.3-2.0 l/ha), Frontier Optima, EC (0.8-1.2 l/ha), etc. The most effective method in all areas of beet cultivation is introduction of a tank mixture of Frontier Optima, EC (1.1 l/ha) and Pyramina Turbo, SC (1.8-2.0 l/ha) into the soil, which contributes to the almost complete destruction of germinating annual cereals and dicotyledonous weeds.
fertilizer system. Beet plants contain more than 60 chemical elements in their composition, therefore, in order to obtain a high yield, complete provision of plants with nutrients is necessary. The high efficiency of fertilizers on sugar beet crops can be achieved only with the joint application of organic and mineral fertilizers at optimal rates, taking into account soil and climatic conditions and the level of the planned crop.
Trace elements contained in plants increase the intensity of photosynthesis, enzyme activity, improve the outflow of sugar, give plants resistance to diseases and increase yields. On chernozem soils, many microelements are contained in sufficient quantities for plant growth. The introduction of macronutrients into the soil, especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, is necessary.
Sugar beet is demanding on soil fertility and responds well to fertilizers. On all soils, the highest productivity of sugar beet is ensured when mineral fertilizers are applied in the ratio N: P: K, equal to 1.0: 1.0-1.2: 1.0. Violation of the correct ratios of nutrients in the soil can cause deviations from the normal development of sugar beets. With each ton of root crops and the corresponding amount of tops, sugar beet takes out 4-7 kg of nitrogen, 1-3.5 kg of phosphorus and 5-9 kg of potassium from the soil.
Organic fertilizers play an important role in increasing the yield of sugar beets. She makes good use of the aftereffect of manure. In order to reduce weediness and increase the yield of winter grain crops, it is better to apply manure (40-80 t/ha) in a clean fallow for winter crops, and in this case, use only mineral fertilizers for beets. In soils of light and heavy granulometric composition, it is advisable to apply manure directly under sugar beet.
The main dose of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is applied in autumn under autumn plowing. Nitrogen fertilizers are used in the spring for pre-sowing cultivation. For sugar beet, it is important to provide nutrients in the initial period of development. To do this, when sowing, complex mineral fertilizers (nitrophoska, nitroammophoska, diammofoska, etc.) are applied at the rate of 15-20 kg P 2 0 5 /ha, placing them 3-4 cm deeper or away from the seeds.
Fertilizing beets with nitrogen fertilizers is considered as an additional method to the main fertilizer in case of insufficient application before sowing, as well as when cultivating sugar beets in areas of sufficient moisture or irrigated agriculture. For these purposes, complex mineral fertilizers are used at the rate of KRK 30-40 kg/ha. Top dressing is carried out in the early period of growth - in the phase of 2-3 pairs of true leaves, together with the cultivation of row spacing. In some beet-growing areas, it is necessary to apply microfertilizers that increase yields, create resistance to diseases and, most importantly, increase sugar content. In areas of sufficient moisture, boric acid gives good results when treating seeds (1.5-2.0 kg/t) or when applying for pre-sowing tillage (1-1.5 kg/ha). On leached chernozem, seed treatment with manganese, cobalt or molybdenum increases sugar content by 0.5-1.2% and yield by 5-10%.
Sowing. Since hybrid seeds are mainly used for growing sugar beets, special seed enterprises are engaged in sugar beet seed production, where the seeds are grown and cleaned, then sent to seed plants for further refinement so that they meet the quality requirements of the standard (Table 7.1).
Table 7.7
Restrictive quality standards for single-seed diploid and polyploid varieties and hybrids of sugar beet (GOST 10882-93)
At seed plants, seeds are additionally cleaned, dried, sized, polished, coated and treated with zagzite-stimulating substances.
Beet seeders produced in the country sow seeds of only two (sowing) fractions: the diameter of the seeds of the first fraction is 4.5-5.5 and the second is 3.5-4.5 mm. Large seeds (more than 5.5 mm) are ground and calibrated with the release of two sowing fractions. Seeds with a diameter of less than 3.5 mm are not used for sowing.
It is expedient to sow the seeds of fraction 4.5-5.5 mm in the early stages and on floating heavy soils. Field germination of seeds of fraction 3.5-4.5 mm noticeably decreases with deep sowing, they must be sown at the optimum time and shallow.
To improve flowability and ensure accurate sowing, the seeds are ground, the rough loose part of the pericarp is removed from them and calibrated, separating the sowing fractions of 4.5-5.5 and 3.5-4.5 mm. This increases the evenness and volumetric weight of seeds, which allows them to be sown at specified intervals. Polished seeds during swelling consume slightly less water, and their seedlings appear 1-2 days earlier.
Dragee - enveloping the seeds with a nutrient mixture to give them a spherical shape. Such seeds are more even, have better flowability and allow you to maintain the seeding rate with great accuracy. The composition of the dragee shell includes: bentonite clay, peat, talc and protective and stimulating substances. Coated seeds during germination require much more water (up to 200% relative to their own weight), so they should be sown only in a well-moistened soil layer.
The quality and timing of sowing sugar beets significantly affect the yield and sugar content of root crops. When choosing the sowing time, it must be remembered that a delay in sowing by only 1 day leads to a loss in root crop yield by 5-6 c/ha, which cannot be fully compensated by an increase in the length of the growing season due to harvesting at a later date. With late sowing, due to lack of moisture, seedlings appear unfriendly and sparse.
When sown in unheated soil, the seeds germinate slowly, their seedlings are depleted and damaged by the root beetle, and when sown in too wet soil, the seedlings die from lack of oxygen. Seedlings quickly and amicably appear at a moisture content of the upper layer of 20-23% of absolutely dry soil, since beet seeds require about 140-170% of moisture from their air-dry mass for germination, and pelleted seeds even more. Beets sown at the optimal time have a higher sugar content (by 0.6-0.9%) and are better stored.
Sugar beet sowing is started when the soil reaches physical ripeness (it crumbles well and contains a large amount of moisture) and warms up to 7-8 ° C at a depth of 5-10 cm. Usually, the sowing of sugar beet coincides with the mass sowing of early grain crops, so its sowing is started on the 3-4th day after the start of sowing early grain crops. Approximate average calendar sowing dates: in the North Caucasus - the third decade of March - the first decade of April, in the Central Black Earth regions - the second or third decade of April, in the northern regions of the Central Black Earth regions, in the Non-Black Earth and Volga regions - the third decade of April - the first decade of May , in Bashkiria and in the Altai Territory - the first decade of May.
To ensure high-quality harvesting, it is important to observe the straightness and optimal sowing depth, the deviation from which should not exceed ± 0.5 cm, so the speed of the sowing unit should be 4-6 km/h. With an increase in the speed of movement, the distribution of seeds in depth and along the row worsens, the seeding rate decreases, the seeds are placed in a loose soil layer, as a result of which seedlings are uneven and sparse. Mechanical seeders usually provide accurate seeding at a speed of 4-6 km/h, pneumatic - at a speed of 7-8 km/h.
With high-quality soil preparation and sufficient moisture supply, the seeds are planted to a depth of 2-3 cm. On light soils and under conditions of insufficient moisture, the depth is increased to 3-4 cm. Planting seeds deeper than 4 cm leads to a decrease in field germination. It is important to place the seeds on a compacted bed with an intact capillary system. Under such conditions, even in dry weather, moisture is provided from the deeper layers of the soil to the seeds. The loosened topsoil should not be very thick (2-4 cm) so that oxygen from the air and heat can easily flow through it. Field germination of seeds in this case reaches 70-90% or more.
Sugar beet is sown in a wide-row dotted way with a row spacing of 45 cm. For sowing, precision seeders such as Gaspardo, Monosem, Unicorn, Amasone, CMH-12, SUPN-8, SUPK-12A, SST-12V, MS-8 (V, E) are used. , MS-12, SPS-12, SPU-12, which are aggregated with caterpillar tractors with a track of 135 cm or wheeled tractors with a track of 180 cm.
When determining the seeding rate, it should be taken into account that the difference between field and laboratory germination reaches 15-35%, and 5-10% of plants die in the period from germination to row closure. Therefore, to obtain the final density, it is necessary to sow 9-12 seeds per 1 m of row, which will ensure the production of 5-7 plants, and breakthroughs are not required. To do this, it is necessary to use high-quality seeds with a laboratory germination rate of at least 90-93%, a single-sprout at least 95-97% and a uniformity of at least 90%.
When using seeds of lower quality in conditions of insufficient moisture, beets should be sown with a certain margin - up to 20-25 fruits per 1 m of a row, and then remove excess seedlings mechanically.
At present, the seeding rate of sugar beets is calculated not by weight, but by sowing units. One sowing unit in the world beet growing contains 100 thousand seeds (4.5 seeds per 1 linear meter of a row), in the domestic one - 222 thousand (10 seeds per 1 linear meter of a row) with a standard row spacing of 45 cm.
Crop care. Crop care includes pre-emergence and post-emergence treatments, the formation of optimal planting density, weed, pest and disease control. Depending on weather conditions, sugar beet sprouts on the 8-20th day after sowing. During this time, weeds may appear, the soil is compacted, a soil crust often appears, and the water and air regime deteriorates. Therefore, in order to improve the air and temperature conditions of the soil at the depth of seed placement, reduce unproductive moisture losses and destroy a significant number of weeds, pre-emergence harrowing with light sowing harrows (ZBP-0.6) is carried out on the 5-6th day after sowing, and on compacted soils - medium harrows (BZSS-1.0) across the crop or at an angle to it at a speed of no more than 2.5-3.0 km/h, which ensures the least damage to seedlings.
Often, due to weather conditions delaying seed germination, pre-emergence harrowing is repeated. It is important not to be late with the last harrowing, which is carried out no later than 2-3 days before germination.
When a soil crust appears on crops with shallow seeding, pre-emergence processing is best done with a USMK-5.4V cultivator equipped with rotary working bodies, a cultivator for fine loosening UKMR-5.4 "Play" or a milling cultivator KF-5.4.
When shoots appear, the first longitudinal loosening (sharovka) is carried out to a depth of 4-5 cm with USMK-5.4V cultivators equipped with razor blades for loosening row spacings and rotary bodies for tillage in rows and row spacings. The protective zone for razors is 8-10 cm from the row. In order not to cover the plants with soil during processing, protective discs are used, which allow you to increase the cultivated area between the rows.
A particularly important method of care is the formation of the necessary plant density. In areas of sufficient moisture for sugar beet harvesting, planting density should be 95-100 thousand/ha, in areas of unstable moisture - 85-90 thousand/ha, and in areas of insufficient moisture - 80-85 thousand/ha. Plants should be placed evenly, approximately 16-20 cm apart, which corresponds to 4-5 plants per 1 m of row with a row spacing of 45 cm. Uneven placement of plants in a row reduces not only the yield, but also the sugar content of root crops.
Modern technologies that use low seeding rates of one-seeded beets for the final density provide for uniform placement of plants along the length of the row and exclude the formation of any planting density. Basically, the formation is carried out by harrowing by seedlings, transverse or longitudinal thinning with selective removal of excess plants in thickened places.
When sowing at the final density or during mechanized thinning without subsequent removal of excess plants in bouquets, when the uniformity of their placement along the length of the row worsens, the plant density should be 15-20% higher than the recommended density.
For transverse thinning, row cultivators USMK-5.4V with a set of one-sided flat-cutting razor blades are used, and for longitudinal thinning, mechanical USMP-5.4A, USHP-5.4 or automatic thinners PSA-2.7, PSA-5.4 are used. The method and scheme of thinning depends on the density of seedlings and their placement in a row.
Transverse thinning is most effective in weedy fields with a plant density of 20 or more per 1 m of row.
With a seedling density of 11 - 14 plants per 1 m of row, it is advisable to use longitudinal mechanical thinning according to the scheme cut - 5, bouquet - 10 cm or cut and bouquet - 10 cm each or automatic thinning. With this method of forming the density, 75-80% of the bouquets have one plant each, which makes it possible to avoid the cost of manual labor for disassembling sugar beet bouquets. This method provides a plant density of 85-100 thousand/ha.
It is important not only to create a planting density in numerical terms, but also to form it in the optimal time. In the areas where multigerm seeds were sown, this operation is completed no later than the formation of the third pair of true leaves by the plants. Delay in the formation of plantations, especially when sowing with increased seed rates, reduces the yield of root crops by 50 c/ha or more. The density of single-sprout beet plantings is formed before the formation of the seventh true leaf in plants.
If there are more than 14-16 shoots per 1 m of the row, thinning should begin in the phase of a developed fork and be completed no more than 8-10 days in advance, and with rarer shoots, start in the phase of the first pair of true leaves and end in 10-12 days.
Immediately after thinning, inter-row loosening of crops is carried out to a depth of 4-5 cm with a USMK-5.4V cultivator equipped with lancet paws or hiller discs, which simultaneously loosen the soil and sprinkle weeds in the protective zone of the row.
The number, depth and timing of the following loosening of the soil depend on the specific conditions: the presence of weeds, the condition of the soil and other conditions. As a rule, 3-4 loosenings are carried out during the growing season.
After closing the leaves between the rows, in most cases, the need for loosening the soil disappears. It is carried out only in case of excessive moisture and soil compaction, be sure to equip the tractor with special devices. The depth of loosening is adjusted to 10 cm. The speed of movement of the unit is not more than 6 km / h.
In the second half of the growing season, when the leaves begin to die off intensively, inter-row loosening to a depth of 10-12 cm can be carried out using row cultivators equipped with one-sided flat-cutting paws or chisels. Under favorable conditions, this contributes to the growth of root crops and the accumulation of sugar in them.
Protection of plants from weeds, pests and diseases. To protect sugar beet crops from weeds during the growing season, post-emergence herbicides are used (Goltiks, VRG (1.5-2.0 kg/ha), Pyramin Turbo, KS (3-5 l/ha), Betanal 22, KE (1 l / ha), Cleo, VDG (0.12 kg/ha), etc.). To increase the efficiency of treatment, if necessary, make a mixture of 2-4 active drugs. Post-emergence treatment is carried out as early as possible when weeds have cotyledon leaves, when they are most sensitive to the action of herbicides. In the two-leaf phase, weeds become more resistant to herbicides, which is explained by the accumulation of a significant amount of plastic substances in leaf tissues and the coating of their surface with a protective wax layer. Spraying crops when weeds reach phase 4 or more leaves is ineffective.
For high-quality weed control, it is recommended to carry out 2-3 sprayings on vegetative sugar beet plants. Secondary crops are sprayed 6-10 days after the first, when the second wave of weeds emerges, or according to the recommendations for the use of a specific herbicide. With a significant weediness of the fields, 10-14 days after the second spraying, with the advent of new seedlings of weeds, the beet crops are treated for the third time.
After the application of herbicides, it is not worth loosening the soil, since the herbicidal protective film is broken, and weed seeds are carried into the upper layers of the soil.
During the growing season, sugar beet can be damaged by numerous insect species. The most common and harmful soil pests of sugar beet are wireworms, false wireworms, caterpillars of gnawing scoops, beet nematode, etc.
Reducing the number of pests during the growing season ensures the use of chemical and biological means of protection based on systematic monitoring and taking into account the economic thresholds of harmfulness. Chemical treatment should be carried out with permitted preparations (Table 7.2) with a population of at least: beet fleas - 1 per 5 plants, weevils - 0.2 per 1 m 2, a complex of pests on seedlings (fleas, weevils, etc.) - 0, 2 per 1 m 2, leaf aphids - when 10% of plants are colonized by 1 point, sugar beet miner - 6-8 per plant in the phase of 2-3 pairs of true leaves, gnawing scoop - 1-2 per plant, meadow moth - 2- 3 first generation per plant.
Table 7.2
Insecticides approved for use on sugar crops
The basis of the biological method of combating caterpillars of gnawing and leaf-eating scoops, meadow moths is the use of Trichogramma and biological preparations of Bitaxibapine (2 kg/ha) and Dendrobacillin (1 kg/ha).
In areas of severe damage by beet weevils, trapping grooves are used as a control measure, which are dug by milling ditchers.
As the yield of sugar beet grows, the losses caused by diseases become more and more significant. Sugar beet during the growing season of plants and storage of root crops is affected by more than 60 types of pathogens of various nature. They disrupt the vital processes of plants (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, metabolism), which leads to a decrease in productivity, a deterioration in the quality of raw materials, and the sowing qualities of seeds. In general, diseases reduce the yield of root crops by 17-20%, and in some years with epiphytotic development - by 50% or lead to the complete death of crops.
Fungicides approved for use on sugar beet crops
Name of the drug |
Harmful object |
Consumption, l (kg)/ha |
Benomyl, s.p. |
Powdery mildew, cercosporosis |
|
Speed, Ph.D. |
||
Rias, Ph.D. |
||
Kolfugo super, k.s. |
||
Kuproksat, k.s. |
||
Abiga Peak, e.s. |
cercosporosis |
|
Albite, t.p.s. |
||
Alto super, c.e. |
Alternariosis |
|
Falcon, Ph.D. |
Cercosporosis, powdery mildew, phomosis |
|
Rex duo, Ph.D. |
Cercosporosis, powdery mildew, ramulariasis |
|
Impact, s.k. (250 g/l) |
Cercosporosis, powdery mildew, phomosis |
Peculiarities of cultivation of sugar beet on irrigated lands. Sugar beet is sown on about 2 thousand hectares of irrigated land in the North Caucasus, Central Black Earth regions, in the Volga region and in Altai. Here you can get yields of sugar beet root crops of at least 45 t/ha.
Agrotechnics of sugar beet during irrigation has its own characteristics. Under these conditions, crop rotation as a means of regulating the water regime loses its significance, but its role in preventing the mass development of pests, diseases and weeds, and the deterioration of the agrophysical properties of the soil increases. The presence of perennial grasses in crop rotations is very important. The best predecessor of beets is winter wheat for grasses. Soil tillage - improved or semi-fallow. When plowing the reservoir, it is recommended to use a deepening of the arable horizon up to 35-40 cm. In the autumn period, after plowing, provocative irrigation can be used, causing the emergence of weeds, which are then destroyed by loosening. When irrigating, increased rates of fertilizers should be applied, top dressing is also effective. When cultivating sugar beets in irrigated agriculture, careful mechanized care is very important. The number of inter-row loosening is increased to 5-6, and their depth is up to 10-12 cm. During the irrigation period, no
it is necessary to carry out slotting in the aisles. The best conditions for plant growth are formed when the moisture content of the arable soil layer is not lower than the moisture content of capillary rupture. To increase the sugar content of root crops, watering is stopped 15-20 days before harvesting.
Harvest. The timing, methods and quality of harvesting, the timeliness of the export of root crops to beet receiving points have a significant impact on crop losses, the quality of root crops and the yield of sugar, and also largely determine the level of labor costs and the profitability of the crop. Therefore, the start of sugar beet harvesting is determined not so much by biological factors as by organizational and economic considerations, consistency with the work of sugar factories, so that sugar beet raw materials are harvested in the best possible time, with less weight loss of root crops and the main product - sugar.
An intensive increase in the mass of the root crop and its sugar content continues until the onset of a stable air temperature below 5°C. Most often, a high level of yield and sugar content in Russia is achieved by the end of August - beginning of September, when favorable conditions are formed for the growth of root crops and sugar accumulation. But physiological ripeness comes much later - after September 15-20. Early harvesting reduces the yield of sugar from 1 ha, late harvesting is associated with crop losses due to adverse weather conditions (snow, long rains, frosts). Beet root crops of early harvesting due to their physiological immaturity, although suitable for processing, cannot be stored for a long time. In addition, in September and early October, favorable conditions are often created for the growth of the root crop and an increase in the sugar content in it.
It has been established that in September the yield increases by 15-30%, and sugar content - by 1.38-1.82%. The terms of harvesting root crops must be set depending on the area, the availability of mechanisms in such a way that the harvesting work is completed before the end of October, when the air temperature becomes negative. Thus, based on the biological characteristics of sugar beet, weather and organizational and economic conditions, the optimal period for its mass harvesting is from October 1 to October 20. However, due to the insufficient processing capacity of sugar mills, it is advisable to start harvesting in the first ten days of September with the delivery of root crops to beet receiving points according to an agreed schedule for processing without storage. In this case, first of all, it is necessary to start harvesting sugary hybrids, as well as beets from the so-called "problem" fields: root crops with dried tops, from fields with complex, low relief, clogged with weeds.
During the period of mass harvesting (until October 20), root crops are processed and stored for long-term storage at beet receiving points, as well as in farms in temporary storage heaps. When storing at an earlier date, the percentage of root crops affected by clamp rot increases by 1.75-2.1 times, and at later times - by 1.25-1.75 times. Storage of root crops in field piles is of interest and economically justified, storage volumes should be at least 10-15%, preferably in farms that are more than 30 km away from beet farms, and in highly specialized farms with a sowing area of more than 250-300 ha.
Sugar beets are harvested in three ways: in-line, transshipment or flow-transshipment without manual additional cleaning of roots with simultaneous collection of tops. With a large amount of tops, a head cleaner is used. The most common, cost-effective way of harvesting sugar beets is in-line. It is used in small areas when the contamination of root crops is not more than 10%, including tops - less than 3%. In the case of high contamination of root crops, it is advisable to use transshipment or flow-transshipment methods of harvesting.
Sugar beet harvesting is carried out by a complex of separate collection machines - trailed haulm harvester BM-6A; MBP-6 and self-propelled root harvester KS-6; RKS-6; RKM-6, as well as the Polesie beet harvesting complex, which includes the UES-2-250 universal power tool or the MTZ-1221 reversible tractor with a mounted six-row beet harvester KSN-6 and a pick-up loader of root crops PPK-6 with MTZ-82, SNT- 2DB or SPS-4.2A. In addition, self-propelled beet harvesters of foreign production Franz Kleine SF-10 are used; Holmer; Martrot; WIC-R996 etc.
When preparing a beet plantation for harvesting, it is necessary to harvest root crops on headlands 35-40 m wide. Harvesting units should be used full daylight or around the clock. Adjustment of beet harvesters, which allows to reduce losses and improve the quality of harvesting, is carried out for each specific field, taking into account the yield, planting density, diameter of root crops, and the height of the heads of root crops. During the harvesting period, in order to reduce the damage by clamp rot, it is necessary to strive for minimal mechanical damage to root crops, to avoid drying or freezing them.
The quality of beet roots delivered to sugar factories must meet the requirements of GOST 17421-82 "Sugar beet for industrial processing". The green mass should not be more than 3%, pruning of "tails" and lateral roots is not required.
Technology of cultivation of seeds of sugar beet. Seeds are grown in two ways: landing and non-landing. In Russia, the main method so far is landing. It consists of three stages: obtaining uterine roots, their storage, growing testes. With the non-planting method, mother beets are sown and seeds are grown in the same field. Roots are not dug.
The technology of cultivation of mother beet is in many respects similar to the technology of cultivation of factory beet. However, there are also significant differences. First of all, mother beet is sown with original seeds, which are obtained in scientific institutions, propagated in elite seed and seed farms and prepared for sowing at seed plants.
In seed farms, both mother beet and seed plants are usually grown. For these purposes, two beet fields with a winter crop as a predecessor are distinguished in the crop rotation. When placing mother beets and seed plants in the same crop rotation, the best place should be given to seed plants with a spatial isolation of at least 1000 m.
Sowing of uterine sugar beet is carried out somewhat later than the factory one, when the average daily temperature at the depth of sowing seeds reaches 8-10°C. The mother beet, unlike the factory beet, is grown at a higher standing density, which facilitates its cultivation without thinning. By harvesting, there should be 12 plants per 1 m of a row in the zone of sufficient moisture, 10 plants in the zone of unstable moisture, and 8 plants in the zone of insufficient moisture.
During the growing season of mother beet, plants fall out. The greater the density, the more plants fall out. With a standing density of about 300 thousand/ha in the initial phases, thinning rate is 25%. In the main zones of sugar beet growing in conditions of unstable and insufficient moisture, the best weight of the planting root is 350-375 g, the minimum is 150 g. it is necessary to sow 20-25 seeds per 1 lin. m when cultivated without seedling thinning and 30 seeds - in combination with mechanized seedling thinning.
The remaining technological methods do not differ significantly from those for factory crops (tillage, fertilization, care, pest, disease and weed control, harvesting). Before harvesting on crops of mother beet, plants suffering from peronosporosis, mosaic, rot, rotting, with phenotypic signs of fodder and table beets should be removed. Mother beets must be harvested when a stable cold snap sets in - when the average daily air temperature passes through 8-10 ° C, when the respiration of dug out root crops slows down significantly, the activity of microorganisms that cause clamp rot decreases, and there is less likelihood of an increase in temperature when laying root crops in clamps.
Deadlines for the completion of harvesting for the Central and Central Black Earth regions - October 10-15, Altai Territory - September 25 - October 1, Krasnodar Territory - October 25-30.
There are three ways to store sugar beet root crops: trench, semi-aerial(or elevated) and stationary(in basements and purpose built vaults). The first is the most common, the rest are used to a limited extent. Usually in most areas, trenches are dug 80-90 cm wide and 60-70 cm deep, in the Altai Territory - 80-90 cm wide and deep. Root crops are laid in piles without earthen lintels and layers of earth, in bulk. Jumpers should be made in case of a gap in the timing of clogging and when laying for storage root crops with insufficient turgor. Root crops laid in piles are immediately covered with finely cloddy earth with a layer of 25–30 cm, in the Krasnodar Territory - with a layer of 15–20 cm. The height of the embankment in the Krasnodar Territory should be up to 50 cm, more reliable thermal insulation is required in the Central Chernozem Zone and the Altai Territory (up to 150 cm).
Throughout the winter, they monitor the temperature regime, depending on which they take measures to cool or warm the piles. When the temperature rises to 8 ° C, the roots are cooled by removing part of the shelter with a bulldozer or by making side cooling wells every 20 m. When the temperature in the clamps drops to 5 ° C, they are insulated with straw, manure or snow.
Seed growing technology. Seed plants are plantings of uterine root crops. They differ in many ways from the beets of the first year of life: the length of the growing season, the nature of the development of the root system, the requirements for moisture and the regime of mineral nutrition. The uterine roots should be planted in the soil as early as possible, in a short time, which will contribute to the completion of the process of preparing reproductive buds for the formation of flower stalks, better and faster survival, abundant stemming, friendly flowering and ripening, increased seed productivity and the best quality of seeds grown. The opening of the clamps begins 1-2 days before the selection and planting of root crops, so that the remaining soil layer can dry out. An earthen shelter is removed from the clamps with a bulldozer, leaving a layer of soil 2-4 cm above the root crops. Root crops are selected from the clamps by a machine in which the teeth are replaced with special combs. The selected roots are divided into three groups using sorting tables or calibration and sorting lines: suitable, doubtful and unsuitable for planting. Suitable (healthy root crops, as well as root crops with a tail part that has decayed to 1/3, which is cut off) are sorted and planted. Doubtful ones are covered with earth with a layer of 25-30 cm. After 7-8 days they are sorted out again: root crops with awakened growth buds are used for planting, with unsprouted ones they are discarded. Marriage is used for livestock feed.
Spring soil preparation for seed plants usually consists of early spring moisture closure, pre-sowing deep soil cultivation (16-18 cm) and subsequent harrowing, which provides conditions for normal mechanized planting of uterine roots, the average length of which is 20 cm. A properly planted root crop should be located in the soil strictly vertically and at such a depth that its head is 2-3 cm below the soil surface, and the soil should tightly fit the root crop.
Root crops are planted with planters. To ensure high-quality planting, root crops are sorted into fractions with a diameter of 4-7 and 7-12 cm. 70 cm. In the process of reproduction, in order to preserve the species and varietal properties and qualities of seeds, it is necessary to observe the spatial isolation of beet seed plants. Its pollen can be carried by wind and insects over a distance of 5-6 km or more. In elite seed farms, the spatial isolation of varieties of one form of beet should be at least 1 km, one-seeded diploid or tetraploid forms - at least 3 km. The single-seeded and multi-seeded tetraploid forms must be at least 5 km away from the multi-seeded diploid; from other forms (table, fodder, semi-sugar beet) - at least 10 km.
At the beginning of the growing season, when 20-30% of seedlings appear, harrowing is carried out with ray harrows, mesh or medium tooth harrows. After 4-5 days, the harrowing is repeated. At the same time, the rosettes of the landings are opened, the seedlings and shoots of weeds are destroyed. Further care includes 2-3 inter-row loosening and top dressing. The first loosening is carried out to a depth of 10-12 cm, subsequent - 2-3 cm shallower with the smallest protective zone. During the growing season, seed plants are treated with a tank mixture of herbicides (betanal with lontrel or nabu) to control weeds.
Artificial additional pollination (with a rope) and tweezing (treatment of flowering plants with a preparation of maleic acid hydrazide) have a significant impact on the yield and quality of seeds.
The complexity of harvesting seed plants is due to the fact that the ripening of beet seeds is very extended (20-40 days). Signs of maturation of infructescences are their browning and mealy consistency of the fetus. Harvesting too early leads to a decrease in germination, too late - to large losses of seeds. Therefore, mechanized harvesting (cutting) of the testes is started in the presence of mealy perisperm of the seed and browning of 40-50% of the seed in most of the plants. Seeds are mowed with headers from 6-7 rows and placed in a continuous swath. In dry weather, the windrows dry out in 5-6 days and are threshed by grain combines equipped with special devices. After drying with desiccants (Reglon super (5-10 l/ha), Tornado 500 (3-4 l/ha), etc.), direct combining is used.
The threshed seeds are delivered to the current, where they are immediately cleaned of impurities and dried to a moisture content of 15%. Further processing to the requirements of sowing conditions takes place at seed plants.
Features of growing seeds in a non-planting way. The essence of the non-planting method lies in the fact that in the fall the mother beets are not dug up. Overwintered root crops grow back in early spring, form reproductive shoots and bear fruit.
Seeds are grown in a non-planting way in many countries of the world (USA, Serbia, England, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Denmark). In Russia, the most favorable conditions for overwintering of mother sugar beets, and, consequently, for non-planting seed production, are in the southern foothills of the Krasnodar Territory, in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the Chechen and Kabardino-Balkarian Republics. This method is economically profitable and allows mechanizing sugar beet seed production. The optimal mass of root crops with non-planting culture in rainfed conditions is 10-30 g in the presence of 8-10 pairs of leaves with their total assimilation surface of 1700-1800 cm 2 per plant. In conditions of irrigated agriculture, before going into winter, it is recommended to have plants with 8-10 leaves and a root diameter of 0.5-2.5 cm.
With non-planting cultivation, beets are sown in clean or busy pairs (annual grasses for green fodder or early harvested crops (chickpeas, peas, early potatoes, vegetables)).
Fertilizers are used based on a two-year development cycle and taking into account the increase in winter hardiness of plants. To do this, the dose of nitrogen in the main fertilizer is halved and it is excluded from the row fertilizer. In the second year of vegetation, the dose of nitrogen is increased by 20-25%.
Root crops with a diameter of 0.5-2.5 cm, which can be grown during summer sowing in a thickened state, have a high safety. Therefore, in production, pure summer sowing of a non-planting beet crop is widespread. In the summer sowing period (second half of July), furrow sowing is used to a depth of 3-4 cm, which ensures seedlings and creates conditions for their overwintering.
When growing seeds in a non-planting way in rainfed conditions, 45-60 seeds are sown per 1 m of row, in areas of unstable moisture - 70 seeds. If it is necessary to hill up in winter, it is advisable to use tape crops according to the scheme of 75 + 15 cm, 60 + 30 + 30 cm or 60 + 20 cm. Taking into account the loss of plants in autumn, it is necessary to have at least 200-250 thousand plants per 1 hectare.
Caring for plants in the first year of life consists in feeding, hilling up to a height of up to 10 cm before wintering, fighting pests and diseases, and irrigating during irrigation. In the second year of life, care begins with nitrogen supplementation. If the crops were spudded in the autumn, then in the spring the protective layer of the earth is removed with harrows. Harrowing is carried out on all plantations.
In early spring, seed plantation density is formed. Thickened crops are thinned out, and plants are transplanted from thickened rows to sparse ones. In the Krasnodar Territory, with a planting density of 140-160 thousand plants per 1 ha, mechanized bunching is carried out according to the cut-out pattern - 8.5 cm, bouquet - 16 cm. With a planting density of 160-200 thousand plants per 1 ha, the cut-out width is increased to 20 cm Spring thinning of non-planting seed plants is advisable if, after thinning, by the time of harvesting, there will be 110-120 thousand seed plants on each hectare in conditions of unstable moisture and 150-160 thousand in the zone of sufficient moisture.
Further care consists of loosening the row spacing until stalking. The depth of the first loosening is 10-14 cm, the subsequent ones are 7-8 cm. All other methods are the same as when growing a planting crop. Mechanized harvesting of seed plants is started when 40-50% of seedlings turn brown in most of the plants.
Seeds are mowed with headers from 6-7 rows and placed in a continuous swath. After 5-6 days, as the stems dry up, the windrows are picked up and threshed by grain combines equipped with special devices. In wet weather, when using desiccants (reglon super, tornado, etc.), direct combining is used.
Sugar beet is just a treasure trove of useful vitamins and substances. It contains in its composition a high level of micro and macro elements, which are so necessary for the normal functioning of the human body.
This root crop is of high importance in agriculture. It grows on large areas in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries.
It is worth noting that many food products are prepared from it and used as pet food.
Characteristics of the root crop
Sugar beet belongs to the common type of root-type beet, which is part of the amaranth family. This is a biennial plant.
In the first year of cultivation, it grows a large and tough white tuber with a high level of sugar and a large rosette with basal leaves.
Already in the second year of cultivation, pillars with peduncles appear in the plant. Sometimes, in some root crops, columns with peduncles appear already in the first year of cultivation.
Usually the largest number of plants with peduncles grows in cold spring weather.
The root system of the root crop has a rod-shaped root with many small roots. The root has three parts: the head, the neck, and the main root or root body.
The head is the highest part of the root. It has a stem origin and contains a rosette with leaves and buds, from which shoots with peduncles then grow.
After the head comes the neck, it is located just below the head. This part grows out of a seedling of the subcotyledonous type knee. A distinctive feature is that it has neither leaves nor root parts.
After the end of the neck comes the root body itself. The head part is 10-15% of the length of the entire part of the root crop, the neck is about 10-20%, and the root itself is almost 65-80%. The appearance of the root part can sometimes differ, this can be influenced by various environmental factors.
The most common varieties of beet roots are:
- saccular
- pear-shaped
- cylindrical.
Leaves are petiolate. They are located on the head zone and look like a socket. Their formation occurs during the growing season. About 50-60 leaves grow on each root crop.
The vegetable contains the following nutrients:
- complex of vitamins B, PP and C;
- a large amount of carotenoids;
- bioflavonoids;
- high levels of amino acids;
- mineral components - iodine, iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, sulfur and calcium;
- pectin;
- cellulose.
Producing countries and leaders
The main producer, which occupies a leading position in terms of sugar beet productivity, is Russia. Then come the countries that are members of the EU, Ukraine, Belarus.
The following shows how many tons of sugar beets are produced each year in each country:
- Russia - 45.1 tons
- France - 33.7 tons.
- USA - 32 t.
- Germany - 28 t.
- Ukraine - 18.4 tons.
- Turkey - 15 t.
- Poland - 12.3 tons.
- China - 11.5 tons.
- Egypt - 9.1 tons.
Total: world - 205 t.
Areas of cultivation of sugar beet in the Russian Federation and its importance
In Russia, sugar beet is considered the main industrial crop that produces large root crops with a high level of carbohydrates.
In this country, huge areas are allocated for the cultivation of this crop.
The main regions of the Russian Federation in which sugar beet is grown:
- South Region. This includes the Chernozem region, the Volga region and the Krasnodar Territory. The best zone for growing root crops is the central black earth zone. Almost 51% of the areas where these crops are cultivated are located in this part. The total area under crops is 167.7 thousand km2. It is located from the northern to the southern part of 500 km and from the western to the eastern 600 km. This territory is divided into forest-steppe and steppe subzones. The main part is occupied by forest-steppe (almost 83%). This part includes: Lipetsk, Kursk, Tambov, the northwestern part of Belgorod and Voronezh. The steppe type zone occupies about 17%. The steppe zone includes the southeast of Belgorod and the southern part of Voronezh.
- North Caucasian region. The area under crops in this region is approximately 160 thousand hectares. This is almost 20% of the entire territory of Russia. In the Krasnodar Territory alone, it accounts for 80% of all areas under crops.
- Volga region ranks 3rd in terms of sugar root crop productivity in the Russian Federation. There are 14 enterprises in this region that process up to 44 thousand tons of tubers per day. In this zone, sugar root crops cover almost 180 thousand hectares, which is almost 22% of all sown areas of the Russian Federation. The main part of the cropland is located in Saratov and Samara.
It should be noted that the main areas of beet growing are forest-steppe regions. Therefore, the Central Chernozem Region and the North Caucasus are in the main places in terms of sugar tuber productivity in Russia.
The yield of sugar beet
This vegetable is considered high-yielding. In the world, its average yield can reach up to 34.3 tons / ha.
In countries with high agricultural technology, namely France, the USA, Germany, Italy, it is collected almost 50-600 tons per 1 ha. The average harvest in Russia is 17.8 tons/ha. In Krasnodar, Kursk and Belgorod, the beet harvest can reach up to 30 tons per hectare.
Sometimes crops reach 40-60 tons per hectare.
The best predecessors for sugar beets
The best predecessors include the following crops:
- Winter grain crops.
- Legumes.
- Potatoes, but only if the soil was fertilized with organic and mineral type fertilizers before planting.
How is sugar beet different from a regular table
It is worth highlighting the main differences:
- color. Sugar roots are usually white in color, but table beets have a bright red, burgundy hue;
- the form. Sugar root crops have an oblong, slightly elongated shape, but table fruits can be of different shapes: elongated, round, oval, cylindrical. Of course, it all depends on the variety;
- purpose. Sugar beet is mainly used in the food industry to produce sugar. But the dining room is used in cooking. Various dishes, salads, soups, winter preparations and much more are prepared from it.
For more information on how sugar beet differs from fodder, read this.
What is made from sugar beet
Sugar is made from this vegetable. Also, its waste is also widely used.
Molasses is used in the production of alcohol solutions, glycerin, yeast products, citric acid and organic acids.
In addition, ethanol is produced from root crops. This substance is necessary for the production of gasoline. Ethanol can replace diesel fuel.
Is it possible to eat sugar beets
Although it belongs to industrial crops, it is also used in culinary business, though in small quantities. For example, a finely chopped root vegetable can be used as a sweetener.
It can be added to cereals with milk, jam, pastries and compotes.
Moonshine and various syrups are also sometimes made from it. True, before cooking, the vegetable must be peeled, as it gives an unpleasant taste.
Can be given to rabbits and other animals
Sugar root vegetables can and should even be included in the diet of rabbits. But you need to introduce it gradually in small quantities. Thanks to the properties of beets, rabbit meat becomes much tastier, and the fur becomes stronger. In addition, it ensures the normal development of animals.
In addition to root vegetables, rabbits need to be given leaves. The leaves are very useful for these animals because they have an antiseptic effect.
Important: before you start feeding rabbits with this root crop, it must be thoroughly washed, rotten parts removed and dirt cleaned. In no case should you feed rotten, raw and dirty tubers. Such irresponsibility can lead to the death of animals.
In addition to rabbits, sugar beets can be fed to cattle. For example, cows after the adaptation period can be given about 18 kilograms of root crops per day. Until that time, it should be no more than 8 kilograms in the diet, otherwise excessive eating of it can cause an accumulation of lactic acids in the stomach of the animal.
Pregnant cows should be given no more than 2-3 kilograms of beets. Also, sheep and cattle are given beet tails of a vegetable - these are thin roots that are located at the very tips of root crops.
Growing technology
- The soil
Before you start planting seeds, you should select and prepare the soil.
It must have the following properties:
- the most ideal and suitable type of soil for the cultivation of this crop is considered sod or carbonate;
- golden or sod-sandy soils are also well suited. However, if this layer starts from a depth of about 60 cm;
- it is desirable that a water-retaining layer begins at a level of 70-80 cm, otherwise the root crop will have to be watered often. And this can lead to large financial costs;
- the soil must be aerated. Its surface should be loose. Therefore, loamy lands are not suitable;
- it is also undesirable to grow it on peat bogs and sandy soil. These soils have high humidity, as a result, vegetables will rot, become moldy and suffer from various diseases.
In order for the yield of sugar beet to be high, the following rules for preparing and sowing seeds should be observed:
- the material for sowing must be coated and carefully selected on a vibrating table;
- seeds should be medium sized. Their size should be at least 3.5 mm, but not more than 4.8 mm;
- also the seeds must be treated with fungicides. This is necessary in order to avoid lesions during the first shoots;
- the planting period begins from the end of April to the beginning of June. It is advisable to plant seeds when the air temperature warms up to +14 degrees;
- before planting seeds, the soil should be well loosened and watered;
- the seed must be planted to a depth of no more than 3-4 cm. Otherwise, it will not be able to germinate through thick layers and will disappear;
- the distance between the beds should be no more than 55-60 cm. This will ensure easy and convenient processing;