BEETROOT (Beta vulgaris )

GROUP : D

OUTLINE

• Introduction• Classification• Origin and Distribution• Climatic requirements• Recommended varieties• Land preparation and Establishment• Pest & Diseases• Other cultivation practices• Value added products

Introduction

• A true biennial• Producing thickened root and a rosette of leaves• Mainly grown for their swollen roots • The cultivation of beetroot is not limited to the hill

country • Now being successfully carried out in the Puttalam

District• Beetroot is an excellent source of folate and a good

source of manganese, and contains betaines .

Classification

Botanical name: Beta vulgaris

Common names: Beetroot

Table beets

Garden or common beet

Family: Chenopodiaceae

Origin and Distribution• Indigenous to Asia Minor and Europe

• Grown widely in - Germany and France - lesser amounts in

other European countriesAfricaAsiaand South America.

Climatic requirements: Grown in all agro-ecological regions in the country

Successfully cultivated in - Nuwara Eliya- Badulla- Kandy - Matale districts

Temperature Optimum temperature range 15°C to 18°C

• Beetroot is a cool-season crop

• Fairly tolerant to high temperatures

- with adequate soil moisture provided

• Excessively hot weather :

- alternating light and dark red concentric circles

- in the root zoning

• Very cold weather results slow or no growth of the

plant

Rainfall

- Beetroot needs a lot of water for fast growth- The volume needed could vary from:

* 2 mm on a cold winter day * 8 mm on a hot summer day

Soil

Soil required - Deep well drained - loose

- sandy loamy soils - with a high organic content

• Soil pH beetroot prefer: range between 6.3 and 7- Acid soils create nutrient deficiency problems - should be avoided or limed to raise the pH

• Salinity Tolerance- Mature beets fairly tolerant - Seedlings relatively sensitive

Recommended varieties1. Crimson Globe- Most popular variety among the farmers.- Maturation time 75 -90 days.- Root shape – Globular- Colour - exterior reddish purple, interior deep reddish – purple

2. Detroit Dark Red- Maturation time 75 -90 days.- Root shape – Globular- Colour - exterior reddish purple, interior deep reddish –

purple

3. Red Ace

4. Star 1102

Crimson Globe Detroit Dark Red

Red Ace

Land preparation and Establishment

• Nursery- Soil worked to a fine tilth

- Prepare raised beds Width: 1m

Height: 20cm

• Field- Soil should be ploughed to a depth of 20-30 cm

- worked to a very fine tilth - Apply 10 -20 t/ha of organic matter

Planting• Nursery- Seed can be broadcast or row – sown

• Field - Up -country : healthy 3-4 week old seedlings

transplanted on raised beds

- Low lands : Transplant seedlings on ridges or raised beds

- 30 cm between rows - 10 cm within the rows

Spacing

Basal application

i. Urea - 200 kg / ha

ii. Triple Super Phosphate - 300 kg / ha

iii. Muriate Of Potash - 125 kg / ha

Top dressing

i. 4 - 6 weeks after planting

ii. Urea - 250 kg / ha

iii. Muriate of potash - 125 kg / ha

Irrigation

• Should be kept moist to a depth of 20 to 25 cm• Plantings should receive light water applications

daily until the young seedlings come up• About 30 mm of water should be supplied per

irrigation• Large fluctuations in soil moisture content will

result in poor quality roots-malformed and have many small hairs or

side roots

Weed control

• Controlled before they can compete with beet seedlings and interfere with their growth– Hand weeding– Chemical application

Pest & Diseases

PestsAphids (Aphis fabae) - Dark brown or green insects - About 2 mm in length - Suck on the lower surface of the leaves Infested leaves are curly and rolled

Use registered chemicals. Crop rotation can also assist

Red spider (Tetranychus cinnabarinus) - Small dark red or dark brown spiders - About 1 mm long- Suck on the lower surface of the leaves- Numbers can increase rapidly during warm

weather

Leaf-eating insects -Leaves are mainly eaten in summer

Diseases

Cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora beticola) -Caused by a fungus-Enters the leaves and causes small round spots

of about 3 mm in diameter -Spots first brown with a dark purple border later turn grey in the center

Downy mildew (Peronospora schachtii) - Seed-borne disease- Can affect the crop early in the season- Leaves of infected plants partly or completely

turn yellow and curl downwards- Flowers and the crown can also be infected

Other diseases: • Brown rust (Uromyces betae)• Scab (Actinomyces scabies)• Root rot, damping-off (Phoma betae)

Other cultivation practices• Thinning- Carried out when the seedlings are still small - About 5 to 7 cm apart in the rows - If plant emergence is good

• Seed treatment- Washed in running water for at least 2 hours- Soaked in a 0.5 % Aretan solution for 20 minutes after

washing - Dried for at least 6 hours at room temperature before

sowing

Harvesting

• Harvest maturity - Usually harvested when the roots reach

3 - 5 cm in diameter-Harvested 6-8 weeks after planting

• Harvesting methods

- Lifted by hand or mechanically when grown on a large scale

- Lifts the crop from the soil and cuts off the leaves

- Care should be taken in pulling roots from the soil and in their handling

Post-harvest handling

• Sorting and grading- All diseased roots and those showing

mechanical injury are removed- Old, dead or damaged leaves should be

removed if the crop is to be marketed with tops

- Graded according to size

• PackingAfter washing, the crop is packed in crates or cartons and kept in a cool and dry environment

• StorageThe environment must be dry

-to avoid fungal attackThe temperature must be kept at 0 °C and the relative humidity at 90 %

• Transport-Should be transported in a well ventilated vehicle and at cool temperatures

to avoid fungal infestation

-The temperatures should never go below 0 °C because the crop will experience cold-wilting

• Marketing– Cost of Production

Major portion of the cost of production accounts for fertilizer (38%) and labour (39%). For pesticides :9%

• Value added products:

Prepared By

• H.A.S.P Kularatne UWU/EAG/11/0003

• Y.S.M.M.P Yallarawa UWU/EAG/11/0029

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