Accounting of physical qualities of root crops during sugar beet reception and storage

Abstract

This article studied the quality of sugar beet roots during storage. The determining factor in the efficiency of beet sugar production is the output of sugar at a plant. Root crops are characterized by a sharp change in technological quality depending on the areas of beet seeding, agrometeorological conditions of a year, cultivation technology and storage conditions. They are easily damaged during harvesting and transportation, they are relatively poorly stored. The physical properties of root crops depend mainly on the settings of the beet harvesters, weather conditions during the harvesting period; chemical properties depend on the varietal characteristics and agricultural cultivation techniques. When growing under the same conditions, varietal characteristics play a decisive role in the yield and technological quality of root crops. Therefore it is important to use two or three hybrids when growing on the farm, which belong to different groups according to the initial technological qualities and the level of sugar loss during storage. The hybrids must provide a high sugar yield during the sugar factory operation. Therefore, it is necessary to have hybrid-specific data on sugar yield during the entire harvesting period, the date of achieving maximum sugar content, resistance to gray rot and the intensity of sugar loss during the storage. Root crops with higher sugar content lose more sugar during prolonged storage, and its yield is reduced to a greater extent. Root crops of such hybrids should not be stored, but immediately sent for processing. Studies show that in piles where raw materials with 9–10 % of mechanically damaged root crops are stored, rotting processes are activated 4.5 times, and with 17– 18 % – 10 times faster compared to undamaged ones. To reduce the damage to root crops by gray rot during storage, biocidal preparations should be used. During storage in the field in open piles for 12 days, sugar losses in root crops reach 1.7 % in September in absolute weight. Sugar losses in such conditions reach 1.3 % in September and 0.9 % in October. The increased amount of green mass reduces the technological quality of root crops. For each per cent of green mass without storage, sugar yield is reduced by 0.2 %, molasses yield and sugar losses increase due to additional non-sugars in the juice. During storage such root crops germinate quickly, which reduces sugar yield. Key words: sugar beet, root crop, root crops quality, premature seeding, gray rot, piles.