Sugar beet growing

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Volume 2

Number 15

Article 2

July 2017

Sugar beet growing

James Wilson

Iowa State College

G. E. Patrick

C. F. Curtiss

D. A. Kent

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Wilson, James; Patrick, G. E.; Curtiss, C. F.; and Kent, D. A. (2017) "Sugar beet growing,"Bulletin: Vol. 2 : No. 15 , Article 2. Available at:http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/bulletin/vol2/iss15/2

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SUGAR BEET GROWING.

JA M E S W IL S O N , G. E. P A T R IC K ,

c. F. CURTISS, Chemist.

D. A. K E N T .

T h e interest that attaches to beet grow ing in Iowa induced this station to conduct an experiment em bracing conditions

common to this industry by the farmer. Seed o f German

(K lein Wanzlebener) and French (Dippes Vilm orin) varieties were obtained from the Department o f A g ric u ltu re ; also a French variety called Desprez from Oxnard Bros., Grand

Island, Nebraska. T h e ground selected was a piece o f fall

plowing adjoining timber. Some o f it had been recently

cleared. T h e piece comprised the following varieties o f soil:

Upland, sandy loam, low rich loam, medium sandy loam, timber clay loam, and stiff timber clay, all comparatively

new. In order to ascertain the best time to plant sugar beets

we begun April 15 and planted once each week, until May

25. W e also desired to ascertain w hat benefit, if any, would

be derived from fertilizing. Lim e was used. A commercial

fertilizer containing ammonia, phosphoric acid, and potash, valued especially for sugar cane in the South, was used ; also ammoniated super-phosphate.

T h e first planting was on fall plowed ground thoroughly

harrowed. A ll after that was well cultivated and then har

rowed, and one piece about twelve feet wide was subsoiled sixteen inches deep.

W e grew beets under twelve different conditions and had each analyzed three different times— September 30, October 12 and November 6.

Sam ple No. 1 was planted A pril 15, a time much earlier

than is usually recommended. It gave the largest yield per

acre, 28.163 tons. T h e September analysis shows 14.62 per

cent sugar, and purity o f juice 77.7. A t the October analysis we met a condition not sufficiently treated in beet lit

erature. A heavy rain had saturated the ground about a

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and fibrous roots. T he second analyses o f this beet showed

only ix .49 per cent o f sugar and purity o f juice, 75.3. T he

reduced percentages were caused by this new growth, or by

the beet absorbing moisture from the ground, or both. B y

comparing the September and October analysis we find the latter lower in percentage o f sugar in all but three cases. Comparing October and Novem ber shows the sugar percentage

to have been in every case higher in November. W h ile this

is true, however, o f the percentage of sugar, it w ill be seen by the table that the purity of ju ice in November fell one and four-tenths per-cent lower than it did in October. T h e aver age percentages o f sugar in the twelve samples analyzed were as fo llo w s: For September, 13.74 ; October, 12.96; Novem

ber, 13.97. T he purity was for September, 76.5 ; October,

76.7 ; November, 75.3.

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I tp o <o oo >3 q> ^ m 6S m [Number._A p ril 15 M ay 2 5 t« tt “ 9 “ 13 “ 18 “ ao “ ao “ a o “ 2 5 “ 18 “ 13 Date of planting. Ge rman French tt ii ii Ge rman it ii ii it French D e sp re z Variety. U p la n d sa nd y lo a m .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. Lo w ric h lo a m ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... M ed iu m sa nd y lo a m ... ... ... .. Lo w ric h lo a m ... ... ... ... T im b e r cla y lo a m

.

ti tt tt Sa m e as N o . 1 an d L im e .... .. Sa m e as N o . 1 an d S ug ar Fe r-) ti liz e r... ...f Sa m e as N o . 1 an d Y e g . Fe r-> ti liz e r.... .. ) Sa m e as N o . 1 s u b s o il e d ... ... .. Sti ff T im b e r c la y ... T im b e r cla y lo a m ... S O IL C O N D IT IO N S . 2 8. 1 6 3 21.28 2 4 . 2 5 .7 6 1 7 .6 1 5 .8 6 1 8 .5 1 8 .3 1 9 .1 1 9 .3 6 8 .5 1 2 .8

2 Yield per acre in _tons.

«-* ►— >-i ►-* No. of Beets in sam

ple taken Sep. 30.

O z. 1 6 .7 2 0 . 1 2 .5 3 6.5 1 2 .5 1 1 .5 2 0 . 15 .5 12 . 1 6 . 9. 11. 5 Mean weight. 1 4 .6 2 1 2 .1 9 1 3 .0 2 1 1 .0 9 1 4 .4 7 1 5 .7 3 1 1 .8 7 1 3 .1 5 1 4 .2 1 13 .4 5 1 5 .4 1 1 5 .7 1 Percentage of sugar in Beets. 7 7.7 7 2.5 75.5 7 2 .1 8 0 .1 78.3 70.4 7 6 . 7 6.2 75.8 8 1 . 82.5 Purity of juice. ‘ i-* •—1 *—* t—* ^

O i — t o c o c o f c o i - ^ c n c o u t c n i - i No. of Beets in sam_{ple taken Oct. 12.}

O z . 27.5 1 6 . 10 . 37.5 1 2 .5 1 1 . 12 . 10 . 1 5 .5 1 0 .5 9 .5 1 2 .5 Mean weight. 1 1 .4 9 1 2 .1 9 1 2 .1 3 1 1 .3 2 1 3 .8 0 1 4 .1 2 1 2 .8 9 1 3 .0 2 1 1 .7 2 1 3 .4 6 1 4 .2 9 1 5 .0 5 Percentage of sugar in Beets. 75. 3 7 5.5 75. 2 73. 5 7 8 .3 80 .1 7 6.9 73 8 70.8 77.3 78.2 85. 4 Purity of juice.

— No. of Beets in

sam-p]e taken Nov. 6.

PsiM ean weight.

ZJi ZJX m vt U? Ot ‘ i c o ^ X t 3 c c » o t o Percentage of sugar M o o o b s o i ' ^ t e o i r - r f h . ^ - j l i n Beets. 7 4 .3 7 4 . 7 5.6 7 2.8 7 6.9 7 6 .7 73. 5 71.9 7 2 .1 7 7.9 7 9 . 7 9 .1 Purity of juice. 12 96 1 2 .3 6 12 .8 6 1 1 .5 2 14. 8 0 1 4 .7 1 1 2 .7 4 1 3 .5 9 1 3 .1 9 1 4 .2 7 1 4 .8 4 1 5 .3 1

Average per cent of sugar in Beets. 75.7 7 4 . 75. 4 72.8 78. 4 78.3 73. 6 78.5 7 3 . 7 7 . 79.4 8 2

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By purity is understood the percentage o f sugar in total solids o f the juice.

Sample No. i gaveasugar yield at the rate of 7299 pounds per

acre. W e call special attention to this yield, because the

planting was so much earlier than is ordinarily advised. T h e

ea.rly planted beets however suffered severely from cut worms. A ll that were planted from A pril 15 to May 9 (except a small

patch that was carefully guarded) had to be replanted. Later

plantings were less affected. Some transplanting was done

after it became too late to sow seed. Beets transplant suc

cessfully.

Num ber two was planted May 25th, and gave a yield of

21.28 tons per acre. T he soil was rather compact and would

have been benefitted by subsoiling or deep cultivation. N um

ber three was planted the same date as number two, but grew on medium sandy loam and gave 24 tons per acre. W e also

call special attention to number four. T h e samples selected

were solitary beets grow ing alone in order to give a compari son o f beets grown in this way and grown closely in rows; and also to ascertain the effect o f the size o f the beet on sugar

percentage. T he samples after being trimmed averaged 43

ounces in w eight. T h e yield was 25.76 tons per acre, and

the average per cent of sugar 11.52 and purity 72.7. Sample

number four was grown to determine under what conditions beets w ill not sugar well and is only in the table for this

purpose. T h e lesson taught here, is that beets should not

be grown too large. These beets grew about one-half out o f

the soil, and many o f them were hollow. T h ey were five

pound beets before trimming. Our highest analysis comes from number twelve the samples of which averaged nearly thirteen

ounces. Y et yield per acre has much to do with profitable

ness o f the crop. W h ile our highest analysis comes from a beet averaging thirteen ounces, and yielding 12.32 tons per acre (No. 12), our largest yield of sugar per acre comes from a sample averaging twenty-one ounces and yielding 28.163 tons per acre (No. 1).

Numbers five, six and twelve were the French, German, and Despres (French, from Grand Island), planted on the

same day, May 13, and on the same soil. Analysis

showed these numbers to be uniform ly good in percent

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age o f sugar, although the product per acre was compara

tively low. Number eleven was planted on soil selected

especially to test yellow timber clay for beet growing. T he

yield o f beets per acre was the lightest obtained, w hile the percentage o f sugar was with one exception the highest. T h is soil fairly represents the lightest clay soils o f the state. T h e results from clay soils indicate that they are well adapted to grow ing beets rich in sugar, but soil of thi£ character should be cultivated deeply to prevent compactness.

Number ten was planted on ground subsoiled to a depth of sixteen inches by the use o f a subsoil plow, which only

loosened the soil. None of it was turned in the spring.

These were the best shaped beets grow n. T h ey were uni formly conical and free from branching roots, common to

other soil conditions. T hey grew less above the surface and

required less trim m ing than those on ground not subsoiled. T h e size o f the beets was not m aterially affected by subsoil

ing. It w ill b e observed from the table, that the subsoiled

beet constantly increased in sugar, and the Novem ber analysis was the highest of any in the field.

Num ber seven, fertilized with lime on upland soil, gives the lowest percentage o f sugar but one, o f the September an alyses, but had increased 1.59 per cent at the time the

November analysis was made. Numbers eight and nine, fer

tilized with the three principal fertilizing agents, nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, do not indicate any appreciable advantage from the use of commercial fertilizers.

In taking all samples, the beets were taken as they grew in

the rows and were not selected. T h e average o f all analyses

made in November, when the crop was ripe, om itting number four (an abnormal sample purposely grown for a negative result), was 14.14 per cent of sugar in beets,and o f purity, 75.5.

T h e entire field consisted o f one and three-tenths acres. T h e cost o f cultivation and harvesting was $51.25, or $39.42

an acre. T h e work was done by regular station men and

teams, and by students, w orking by the hour. T h e field

was hand hoed twice and cultivated twice with a hand cu lti

vator. T h e beets grew in rows 23 inches from center to cen

ter. T h e plants were thinned to eight inches apart in the

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the plants grew on a level surface. T h e soil was turned toward the beets at the last cultivating, so as to have the roots grow as much under ground as possible. Growth was arrested evidently,by the extreme drouth of the season. T h e harvest ing consisted o f lifting, topping and covering in heaps while a cellar was being prepared and made labor equivalent to hauling about two miles.

Iowa farmers can grow beets at less expense than the Station can. W e employ students by the hour, as they desire

to work. T h e labor in the beet field cost us from ten to

fifteen cents an hour, some of it good, some not so good. We had no work horse small enough to work between 23 inch rows,and had the cultivating done by hand. W e are satisfied that with help trained and regular, with machinery suited for planting, cu ltivating and raising, beets can be grown for $25 an acre or less.

Our late planted beets escaped injury from cut worms. In

early planting the cut worm has to be contended with, and all precautions should be observed in selecting and cultivating the ground. T h e crop was affected to some extent by a fungus

disease, treated in this bulletin by Prof. Pammel. T h e loss

from this source was probably one or two per cent. The yield per acre for the entire piece was about 20 tons. W here our largest yield, 28.163 tons, was obtained, the crop completely covered the ground. In fact the entire field, when grow ing during the season, presented a uniformly solid green

appearance. From the foregoing we deduce the following

facts and indications:

1. Early planting gave the greatest tonnage and most sugar per acre.

2. V ery large beets did not sugar well.

3. Subsoiling gave the best shaped beets and the highest

per cent o f sugar in November, needing the least trimming.

4. Cut worms destroyed most o f our early plantings, but

did not affect the later plantings.

5. Per cent o f sugar was affected by second growth in

October, or by absorbing moisture from rains after long drouth, or both.

6. Y ield per acre has much to do with the profitableness

o f the crop; and

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7. W hile our highest analysis came from beets averaging 13 oz. trimmed, and yielding 12.32 tons per acre, our largest yield o f sugar per acre came from beets averaging 21 oz. trimmed, and yielding 28.163 tons per acre.

8. Clay soil gave us the highest per cent of sugar and

comparatively higher purity, and the lowest tonnage per acre.

9. T hree plats fertilized with lime, nitrogen, phosphoric

acid and potash gave no evident benefit.

10. T h e average per cent o f sugar was 14.14 and the

average yield about 20 tons an acre, and the cost of grow ing

and harvesting $39.42 an acre. T h e highest sugar in beets