Sugar beet

Sugar beet
Sugar beet, illustration of root, leaf, and flowering patterns
SpeciesBeta vulgaris
SubspeciesBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (var. saccharifera)
Cultivar groupAltissima Group
OriginSilesia, mid-18th century

A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and that is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (Beta vulgaris).[1] Together with other beet cultivars, such as beetroot and chard, it belongs to the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris but classified as var. saccharifera . Its closest wild relative is the sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima).[2]

Sugar beets are grown in climates that are too cold for sugarcane. In 2020, Russia, the United States, Germany, France and Turkey were the world's five largest sugar beet producers.[3] In 2010–2011, Europe, and North America except Arctic territories failed to supply the overall domestic demand for sugar and were all net importers of sugar.[4] The US harvested 1,004,600 acres (406,547 ha) of sugar beets in 2008.[5] In 2009, sugar beets accounted for 20% of the world's sugar production[6] and nearly 30% by 2013.[7] Sugarcane accounts for most of the rest of sugar produced globally. In February 2015, a USDA factsheet reported that sugar beets generally account for about 55 percent of domestically produced sugar, and sugar cane for about 45 percent.[8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference MMPND was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference springer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference fao was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference usda was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference usda2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference agrisugar1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dohm-et-al-2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference usda4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).