Beet root

This presentation is done by 2010/2011 batch of Export Agriculture students of Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka as a requirement for the subject which is “Fruit & Vegetable Cultivation”. Note that the information included here is relevant to Sri Lankan condition.

1. BEETROOT ( Beta vulgaris ) Group : D

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

3. Introduction A true biennial P roducing thickened root and a rosette of leaves Mainly grown for their swollen roots The cultivation of beetroot is not limited to the hill country N ow being successfully carried out in the Puttalam District Beetroot is an excellent source of folate and a good source of manganese, and contains betaines .

4. Classification Botanical name : Beta vulgaris Common names : Beetroot Table beets Garden or common beet Family: Chenopodiaceae

5. Origin and Distribution Indigenous to Asia Minor and Europe Grown widely in  - Germany and France - lesser amounts in other European countries Africa Asia and South America.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Recommended varieties 1. 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 Red Ace Star 1102  

11. Crimson Globe Detroit Dark Red Red Ace

12. 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

13. 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

14. Basal application i. Urea - 200 kg / ha ii. Triple Super Phosphate - 300 kg / ha iii. Muriate Of Potash - 125 kg / ha Top dressing 4 - 6 weeks after planting Urea - 250 kg / ha Muriate of potash - 125 kg / ha  

15. 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

16. Weed control Controlled before they can compete with beet seedlings and interfere with their growth Hand weeding Chemical application

17. Pest & Diseases Pests Aphids (Aphis fabae ) - Dark brown or green insects - A bout 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

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

19. Leaf-eating insects -Leaves are mainly eaten in summer

20. 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

21. 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

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

23. Other cultivation practices Thinning - Carried out when the seedlings are still small - A bout 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

24. Harvesting Harvest maturity - Usually harvested when the roots reach 3 - 5 cm in diameter -Harvested 6-8 weeks after planting

25. 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

26. 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

27. Packing After washing, the crop is packed in crates or cartons and kept in a cool and dry environment Storage The environment must be dry -to avoid fungal attack The temperature must be kept at 0 °C and the relative humidity at 90 %

28. 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%

29. Value added products:

30. Prepared By H.A.S.P Kularatne UWU/EAG/11/0003 Y.S.M.M.P Yallarawa UWU/EAG/11/0029

31. THANK YOU