Sugar beet
Plant grown commercially for sugar production / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (Beta vulgaris).[1] Together with other beet cultivars, such as beetroot and chard, it belongs to the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris but classified as var. saccharifera . Its closest wild relative is the sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima).[2]
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Sugar beet | |
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Species | Beta vulgaris |
Subspecies | Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (var. saccharifera) |
Cultivar group | Altissima Group |
Origin | Silesia, mid-18th century |
Sugar beets are grown in climates that are too cold for sugarcane. In 2020, Russia, the United States, Germany, France and Turkey were the world's five largest sugar beet producers.[3] In 2010–2011, Europe, and North America except Arctic territories failed to supply the overall domestic demand for sugar and were all net importers of sugar.[4] The US harvested 1,004,600 acres (406,547 ha) of sugar beets in 2008.[5] In 2009, sugar beets accounted for 20% of the world's sugar production[6] and nearly 30% by 2013.[7] Sugarcane accounts for most of the rest of sugar produced globally.