Sugar beet

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Sugar beet	Fierce competitor of sugar cane, only a few decades is cultivated for food purposes for the extraction of sugar The leaves have always been used as fodder
Sugar beet: general information	First references to sugar beet: 420 BC Discovery of sugar crystals from beet juice: 1747, Dr. Margaff 19th century: sugar cane continued to excel Napoleonic wars: blockade of sugar cane imports → sugar beet boom for the extraction of sucrose 1887: Italy → E. Mariani encourages both the cultivation of sugar beet and the extraction of its sugar
Sugar beet: current statistics	Europe (16 million tons of sucrose) and the former Soviet Union are the largest producers of beet sugar in the world
Sugar beet: botanical description	Botanical name : Beta vulgaris var. turnip very high or saccharifera Family : Chenopodiaceae Vital stages : first vegetative year, second reproductive year Brief description of the plant : biennial herbaceous plant with a bushy habit Stem : angular, erect and very branched Root : large, fleshy, typically tap-like, even two meters long. It is characterized by typical transverse roughnesses and by two longitudinal sugar grooves Leaves : large and greenish, gathered in elongated spikes arranged in whorls, heart-shaped at the base, roundish or tapered Flowers : green or red consisting of a corolla with 5 sepals, they are gathered in tetraflore spikes Fruits (glomeruli): round and angular shape, they are rather wrinkled and very hard Seeds : greenish, sometimes brown, yellow or black, they have a typically lenticular shape
Classification of sugar beets	Based on: Type of seeds Chromosomal heritage Sowing time Amount of sugar extracted from the root (weight / sugar content ratio)
Sugar beet: soil, climate and temperature	Ideal soils: deep, enriched with organic substance, at neutral pH Water supply: the plant requires constant water supply → recommended sprinkler irrigation Ideal germination temperature: 5-6 ° C / 10-12 ° C Climate: temperate, ideal Europe and the former Soviet Union Sowing: February-March Harvest: generally towards the end of August-beginning of September
Sugar beet: extraction of sucrose	Collection Immediate transport in sugar factories to avoid fermentation Transport on carrier belts Washing with water jets Elimination of weeds and stones Chopping (beets are sliced) Diffusion → extraction of sugar in countercurrent Purification of the extracted sugary juice + drying of the exhausted matrix Concentration of sugary sauce Baking + centrifugation → crystal separation Raw beet sugar Possible refining → Residue: molasses
Sugar beet: properties	Property: mineralizing vitaminizzante cleansing antiseptic tonics digestive stimulants of bile production absorbs toxins from the cells and facilitates their elimination
Sugar beet: nutritional intake	100 g of sugar beet provide 20 Kcal: 91% water 4% carbohydrates 1% protein + antioxidant substances, nitrates and oxalic acid
Sugar beet: indications	Sugar beet is useful in case of: anemias brain infections weak lymphatic system erythrocyte deficiency prostration