Beta vulgaris

Sugar beet

A variety widely cultivated in cooler climates for the production of sugar. Although fresh sugar beets are not often fed to animals, they are well liked by cattle and pigs and may be included in their diets. Pig diets can beneficially include up to 20% sugar beet. The feed value of sugar beet is about twice that of mangold. It has a reputation for adversely affecting breeding capacity if fed to male stock. When sugar beet is harvested for sugar production, the leaves and the crown are cut off. The crown is rich in sugar but contains substances which interfere with the recovery of sugar from the juice. Wilted leaves and crowns can be fed to cattle and sheep, which relish them. Caution is necessary, however, as they may cause scouring because of their oxalic acid content and contamination by soil. No more than 10 kg per day should be fed to cattle, and they should be mixed with hay. The danger is even greater with pigs. As oxalic acid binds the calcium in the diet, extra calcium has to be supplied. The laxative effect of beet tops is not so pronounced in beet-top silage. Beet tops are easily ensiled both in trench silos and in stacks above the ground. No more than 15 kg should be fed each day to cattle, and no more than 2 kg to sheep. The best results are obtained if the beet-top silage is fed together with lucerne hay. The ensiling of beet tops produces large amounts of seepage water (about 200 litres/ton) during the first few weeks; therefore, good drainage has to be provided.

In sugar production the beets are first shredded into cossettes, from which the juice is extracted. The juice is then processed like that of sugar cane, yielding sugar and beet molasses. The residue after juice extraction, known as wet sugar beet pulps is 10-15% dry matter. Its high water content, both from the point of view of transport and storage, limits its use to the vicinity of the sugar mill. Dairy cows can be given up to 12 kg per day and bullocks twice that amount. The wet pulp can be pressed to remove the excess water, thereby raising the dry matter content to 20%. Pressed pulp, though easier to transport, has the same poor keeping qualities. If heaped and covered to exclude air, it can be stored up to two weeks. For longer storage it should be ensiled. Most beet pulp is dried and sold as dried sugar beet pulp or mixed with molasses to form dried molasses beet pulp. As these feeds readily absorb water and swell, they should be soaked in two or three times their weight of water, especially if large amounts are to be fed to horses or calves. The feeds are palatable, bulky and slightly laxative and have good keeping qualities. Dried beet pulp and molasses beet pulp are fed mostly to dairy cattle, for which they are very suitable. The crude fibre content is well digested by cattle. Up to 3.5 kg a day of dried beet pulp can be given to milking animals, and fattening cattle can make good use of up to 5.5 kg of dried pulp daily. Dried beet pulp may be fed in moderate amounts to calves from the age of about four months, a common daily allowance being 0.5 kg per head. Pigs digest the fibre well, but the pulp is so bulky that total food consumption and weight gain will decrease if more than 0.5 kg a day is fed to fattening pigs. Sows can consume up to 1 kg daily without adverse effects, and the moist soaked pulp is relished once the pigs acquire a taste for it. Young pigs do not thrive on pulp, and it has proved to be unsatisfactory for poultry.

Beet molasses is used like sugar-cane molasses. It has the same feed value but tends to be more laxative; the amounts of beet molasses fed should be less than those recommended for sugarcane molasses.

There is an intermediate range of fodder beets between mangolds and sugar beets; these are mainly used in northern Europe.