Sugar Beet Research Articles

Synthesis and characterization of interpenetrating network hydrogels based on sugar beet pectin and heteroprotein complex: Structural characteristics and physicochemical properties

Synthesis and characterization of interpenetrating network hydrogels based on sugar beet pectin and heteroprotein complex: Structural characteristics and physicochemical properties

Melatonin application enhances salt stress-induced decreases in minerals, betalains, and phenolic acids in beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars.

Melatonin is a potentially active signaling molecule and plays a crucial role in regulating the growth and development of plants under stress conditions, alleviating oxidative damage, enhancing antioxidant defence mechanisms and regulating ion homeostasis. This study examined the effects of exogenous melatonin application on leaf biomass, ion concentrations, betalains, phenolic acid and endogenous melatonin contents comparing red beet (Beta vulgaris L. 'Ruby Queen' and 'Scarlet Supreme') and white beet ('Rodeo' and 'Ansa') cultivars under increasing salinity levels of 50, 150, and 250 mM NaCl. Exogenous melatonin increased salinity-induced reductions in fresh and dry weights and osmotic potential in leaves. Na+ concentrations rose significantly with increasing salinity, but cultivar-specific decreases were observed in K+ and Ca2+ concentrations. Additionally, melatonin application improved betalain, betanin and neobetanin contents induced by salt stress. Furthermore, melatonin application caused salt stress and cultivar-specific changes in phenolic acid contents e.g., ferulic acid, sinapic acid, or m-coumaric acid, in soluble free, ester- and glycoside-conjugated and cell wall-bound forms. In addition, antioxidant enzyme activities and compound contents increased significantly in the beets and were subsequently lowered in a cultivar-specific manner by salt stress + melatonin treatment. The current findings indicate that exogenous melatonin improved plant stress tolerance suppressing reactive oxygen species levels, increasing the antioxidant enzyme activities and compound contents and reducing the levels of Na+, maintaining an ionic homeostasis in the selected red and white sugar beet cultivars. It appears that melatonin application may help improve cultivar-specific salt tolerance by enhancing ion homeostasis and betalain and phenolic acid production levels in beets.

A comprehensive review of the proline mimic azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (A2C).

The imino acid azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (A2C), a proline homologue, was first identified in liliaceous plants in 1955. Its ability to exchange for proline in protein synthesis is responsible for its teratogenic effects and has made it a very useful tool for generating non-native proteins to study proteotoxic stress and ER stress. The tRNA synthetases from some A2C-producing plants can discriminate between proline and A2C, but for most plants and for mammalian cells, A2C is mistakenly used in protein synthesis in place of proline and can avoid cell proof-reading mechanisms. Human exposure to A2C would be very limited had it not been for the development of sugar beets as an alternative source of dietary sucrose to sugar cane, and the widespread use of the plentiful byproducts as livestock fodder. Fodder beets, a very high yielding forage crop, are also used as livestock fodder particularly for lactating cows. It is therefore possible for A2C to enter the human food chain and impact human health. It was hypothesised that its ability to replace proline in protein synthesis generates immunogenic neo-epitopes in myelin basic protein and could therefore be a causative factor for multiple sclerosis. In this review we discuss the distribution of A2C in nature, what is known about its toxicity, and the impact of the proline to A2C exchange on protein structure and function and in particular the proteins collagen and myelin basic protein. We summarise analytical approaches that can be used to quantify A2C in complex biological samples and the adaptations made by some organisms to avoid its toxic effects. We summarise the evidence for human exposure to A2C and the geographical and temporal links to higher incidences of MS. Finally, we highlight gaps in our knowledge that require addressing before we can determine if this non-protein amino acid is a threat to human health.

A major role of class III HD-ZIPs in promoting sugar beet cyst nematode parasitism in Arabidopsis.

Cyst nematodes use a stylet to secrete CLE-like peptide effector mimics into selected root cells of their host plants to hijack endogenous plant CLE signaling pathways for feeding site (syncytium) formation. Here, we identified ATHB8, encoding a HD-ZIP III family transcription factor, as a downstream component of the CLE signaling pathway in syncytium formation. ATHB8 is expressed in the early stages of syncytium initiation, and then transitions to neighboring cells of the syncytium as it expands; an expression pattern coincident with auxin response at the infection site. Conversely, MIR165a, which expresses in endodermal cells and moves into the vasculature to suppress HD-ZIP III TFs, is down-regulated near the infection site. Knocking down HD-ZIP III TFs by inducible over-expression of MIR165a in Arabidopsis dramatically reduced female development of the sugar beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii). HD-ZIP III TFs are known to function downstream of auxin to promote cellular quiescence and define stem cell organizer cells in vascular patterning. Taken together, our results suggest that HD-ZIP III TFs function together with a CLE and auxin signaling network to promote syncytium formation, possibly by inducing root cells into a quiescent status and priming them for initial syncytial cell establishment and/or subsequent cellular incorporation.

From molasses to purified α-ketoglutarate with engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum

α-ketoglutarate (AKG) is a valuable dicarboxylic acid with multiple applications in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Its chemical synthesis is associated with toxic by-products, low specificity and high energy input. To create a more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative, a microbial production process for AKG was developed. Four potential producer strains were generated by metabolic engineering of Corynebacteriumglutamicum and characterized on defined glucose/sucrose media as well as molasses, a side stream from sugar beet processing. While strain C.glutamicum PO6-iolT1Δgdh ΔgltB mscCG’ ΔodhA was not able to grow on defined media it outperformed all predecessor variants on molasses. Successful scale-up into a fed-batch bioreactor process with molasses yielded 96.2 g AKG with a conversion yield of 0.64 gg−1. Finally, downstream processing by liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate enabled product purification with an extraction efficiency of 87 % and an AKG purity of > 93 %.

Enhancing the emulsification performance of hempseed protein hydrolysate through the incorporation of sugar beet pectin: Role of interaction mechanism and interfacial behavior

Enhancing the emulsification performance of hempseed protein hydrolysate through the incorporation of sugar beet pectin: Role of interaction mechanism and interfacial behavior

Baseline survey reveals glyphosate and dicamba resistance in broadleaf weeds before sugar beet trait introduction

Abstract A pre-launch survey of broadleaf weeds was conducted to predict the weed management efficacy of a novel genetically engineered sugar beet with resistance traits for glyphosate, dicamba, and glufosinate. We targeted problematic broadleaf weed species prevalent in the sugar beet system, including kochia, common lambsquarters, Palmer amaranth, and redroot pigweed across sugar beet areas in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. The results revealed that a significant percentage of kochia populations in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming exhibited resistance to glyphosate (94%, 98%, and 75%, respectively) and dicamba (30%, 42%, and 17%, respectively). Palmer amaranth populations had resistance frequencies for glyphosate and dicamba of 80% and 20% in Colorado and 20% and 3% in Nebraska, respectively. No resistance to the tested herbicides was identified in common lambsquarters or redroot pigweed. Glufosinate resistance was not identified for any species. Kochia and Palmer amaranth populations from Colorado and Nebraska exhibited glyphosate resistance primarily through 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene amplification. However, one glyphosate-resistant kochia population from Wyoming lacked EPSPS gene amplification, indicating the presence of an alternative resistance mechanism. We identified the previously characterized IAA16 G73N substitution in a dicamba-resistant kochia population from Nebraska. However, dicamba-resistant kochia populations from Colorado did not possess this substitution, suggesting an alternative, yet-to-be-determined resistance mechanism. The widespread prevalence of glyphosate and dicamba resistance, coupled with the emergence of novel resistance mechanisms, poses a significant challenge to the long-term efficacy of this novel genetically engineered sugar beet technology. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated weed management (IWM) strategies that diversify effective herbicide sites-of-action and incorporate alternative weed management practices within cropping systems.

Genome-Wide Identification of the BvHSFs Gene Family and Their Expression in Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Under Salt Stress

Genome-Wide Identification of the BvHSFs Gene Family and Their Expression in Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Under Salt Stress

Transforming Biomass Energy Waste into Innovative Fertilizer: Impact of Poultry Litter Incineration Ash-Based Fertilizer on Sugar Beet Nutrition, Yield, and Quality

Transforming Biomass Energy Waste into Innovative Fertilizer: Impact of Poultry Litter Incineration Ash-Based Fertilizer on Sugar Beet Nutrition, Yield, and Quality

Applying minirhizotrons to observe spatiotemporal variations in rooting depth and distribution in agroecosystems to improve the performance of hydrological models

AbstractTo understand and explain soil moisture dynamics, the role of the vegetation is crucial. Hydrological processes in agricultural soils are strongly affected by rooting depth and root distribution. We present a new approach to monitor and model root dynamics and its influence on soil moisture using minirhizotrons combined with phenological observations. Field setups consist of a portable root scanner and acrylic glass tubes installed in the soil at the start of the growing season. 360° scans of soil and roots are taken regularly at different depths in the tubes. Root traits are identified automatically for each soil layer and complemented by observations of aboveground plant phenology. Results from minirhizotron data collected at an agrometeorological observatory in Germany show for both cereal and rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) crops a higher root density in deeper soil layers and a lower density near the soil surface when compared to literature data. An opposite picture emerged for maize (Zea mays L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), whereas vertical root distribution in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) had a different seasonal course than expected from literature. Applying the new root distribution data in calculations of the soil water balance resulted in differences of more than 3% in absolute volumetric soil water content. A comparison with in situ measurements of volumetric soil moisture at 20‐ and 50‐cm depth revealed a significant improvement of the model results due to the new parameterization. Thus, we argue that minirhizotrons constitute a useful supplement to hydrological observatories and can help understand and predict soil moisture dynamics in the critical zone.

Exploring the traits and possible ecological risks of heavy metals in biochars derived from rice husk and sugar beet pulp.

This research investigated the properties and potential environmental hazards associated with biochars derived from rice husk (RH) and sugar beet pulp (SBP), both of which are rich in heavy metals (HMs). The results indicated that the concentration of various HM fractions is significantly affected by the type of feedstock and the pyrolysis temperature. Specifically, the total concentrations of HMs in biochars produced at 600°C were found to be 10-140% higher than those in the original biomasses, a phenomenon attributed to the precipitation of HMs. Cd was a notable exception, exhibiting a reduction of 3-7% in the resultant biochars when compared to biomass, likely attributable to its volatilization. The results also revealed that the F1 + F2 fraction of HMs were largely transformed into F3 + F4 fraction during combustion, indicating that pyrolysis may reduce the ecotoxicity of HMs present in contaminated biomass. However, the process did not effectively diminish the F1 and F2 fractions of Cr and Cd. Elevated pyrolysis temperature significantly enhanced the reduction of HMs phytoavailability. Specifically, the phytoavailability of HMs in biochars produced at 600°C exhibited a decrease ranging from 10 to 92% when compared to the original biomass. Conversely, an unexpected rise in the phytoavailable fractions of Cr and Cd was noted in both RH and SBP biochars as the pyrolytic temperature increased, which correspondingly raised the potential ecological risk index (PERI). All materials analyzed exhibited a very high risk level, with PERI values exceeding 800, primarily due to the significant toxicity of Cd. Excluding Cd from consideration, the biomasses and their resultant biochars displayed PERI values ranging from 7 to 13. It is important to acknowledge that pyrolysis may not effectively diminish the environmental toxicity associated with HMs present in contaminated biomass, thereby limiting its safe application.

‘Carbon farming’: what are the challenges for sugar beet and sugarcane growers?

‘Carbon farming’: what are the challenges for sugar beet and sugarcane growers?

Salt Tolerance in Sugar Beet: From Impact Analysis to Adaptive Mechanisms and Future Research.

The continuous global escalation of soil salinization areas presents severe challenges to the stability and growth of agricultural development across the world. In-depth research on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), an important economic and sugar crop with salt tolerance characteristics, is crucial for to determine its salt-tolerance mechanisms, which has important practical implications for production. This review summarizes the multifaceted effects of salt stress on sugar beet, ranging from individual plant responses to cellular and molecular adaptations. Sugar beet exhibits robust salt-tolerance mechanisms, including osmotic regulation, ion balance management, and the compartmentalization of toxic ions. Omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, post-translational modification omics and metabolomics, have played crucial roles in elucidating these mechanisms. Key genes and pathways involved in salt tolerance in sugar beet have been identified, paving the way for targeted breeding strategies and biotechnological advancements. Understanding these mechanisms not only enhances our knowledge of sugar beet's adaptation strategies but also provides insights for improving salt tolerance in other crops. Future studies should focus on analyzing gene expression changes in sugar beet under salt stress to gain insight into the molecular aspects of its salt-tolerance mechanisms. Meanwhile, the effects of different environmental conditions on sugar beet adaptation strategies should also be investigated to improve their growth potential in salinized soils.

Osmotic Treatment of Orange and Pink Sweet Potato-Mass Transfer Rate and Efficiency

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are globally cultivated due to its adaptability, high nutritional value, and short growing season, tolerance to high-temperature soils, low fertility, and minimal pest or disease issues, making it a valuable asset to the food industry. Osmotic treatment, a renowned preservation technique requiring mild temperatures and minimal energy, has gained prominence. Over ten years of research at the Faculty of Technology Novi Sad has pioneered the use of sugar beet molasses as an effective osmotic solution for drying different herbs, fruits, vegetables, and meat. This study specifically focused on osmotically treating samples of pink and orange sweet potatoes in sugar beet molasses (80% w/w) to explore the influence of solution temperatures (20°C, 35°C, and 50°C) and osmotic treatment durations (1h, 3h, and 5h) on mass transfer rate and treatment efficiency. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and color correlation analysis were employed to illustrate the connections between different sweet potato samples. Findings indicate that the mass transfer rate peaks at the onset of the process. Particularly with the highest temperature after 1h of osmotic treatment The highest values for RWL and RSG (13.33±0.02, 1.85±0.04 and 11.51±0.02, accordingly) were obtained for both orange ((15.19±0.08 g/(gi.s.w.·s)·105and 4.53±0.06 g/(gi.s.w.·s)·105) and pink sweet potato ((9.91±0.02 g/(gi.s.w.·s)·105 and 3.78±0.04 g/(gi.s.w.·s)·105), respectively. Notably, diffusion is most rapid within the initial three hours, suggesting potential reductions in processing time aligned with these results.

Selection of optimal spectral features for leaf chlorophyll content estimation

Leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) is crucial for monitoring the physiological processes of crops. Many studies have utilized spectral features to develop regression models for accurate LCC estimation, enabling the quantitative assessment and evaluation of crop growth status. The selection of optimal spectral features and regression algorithms significantly affects the precision of LCC estimation. In this study, we compared and analyzed the optimal spectral features for LCC estimation, as well as the consistency of machine learning methods across different crop types, phenology periods, and sensors. First, we extracted various spectral features, including the original spectral features (OS), first-order derivative spectral features (FDS), original continuum-removed spectra (CR) along with their four related derivative spectral features, principal component variables derived from different spectral features, and highly correlated spectral features with LCC. These extracted spectral features were then employed to construct the LCC models using six common regression algorithms on different datasets. Finally, we analyzed the optimal combination of spectral features and regression algorithms for accurate LCC estimation considering various dimensions, such as crop type, phenological period, and sensor used in observation conditions. The results demonstrate that the combinations of the principal component variables of continuum-removed derivative reflectance with the top 10 correlations with LCC (PCA_CRDR_R) combined with Gaussian process regression (GPR) can be considered as the optimal choice for estimating LCC under diverse observation conditions at a canopy scale, and its R2 can reach 0.62 for sugar beet LCC estimation; thus providing valuable theoretical guidance for selecting appropriate spectral features for LCC estimation.

Cover crop characteristics modulate amount and timing of nitrogen supply of fertilized sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in temperate climate

For temperate climate, there is little information on the effects cover crops grown in fall (CCs) on the nitrogen (N) supply for next year’s sugar beet (SB). Four field trials were conducted on silty soils to establish the CC N effect (Neff) compared to bare fallow separately for the periods sowing-summer and summer-autumn harvest. Biomass characteristics of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), spring vetch (Vicia sativa L.), saia oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) CCs before winter, soil mineral nitrogen in spring (SMN), and SB N accumulation and sugar yield (SY) were measured. In the period sowing-summer, characterized by a high SB N demand, Neff of overwintering, high biomass yielding rye CC was negative up to -50 kg N ha-1 at three site/years and varied around zero for the other CCs except vetch, for which Neff was positive. At SB autumn-harvest, Neff was negative up to -100 kg N ha-1 except for vetch in one trial. SY was lowest after rye CC. Regression analyses indicated a negative impact of CC biomass, C:N ratio and the difference in SMN between fallow (high SMN) and CCs (low SMN) on Neff. To conclude, if CCs yield a high amount of biomass surviving until spring and thus remove SMN from the soil which otherwise remains available for SB, early season mineralization of CC biomass N can be too low to ensure a N supply sufficient for maximum SB yield. Choosing leguminous CCs or early termination of CCs might alleviate this constraint.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Exotic Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Varieties Using Three Molecular Markers.

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a biennial herb belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. It contributes to approximately 30% of the world's total sucrose production and is an economically important crop. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity and population structure of 132 exotic sugar beet varieties using three molecular makers: four pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers, three pairs of insertion-deletion sequence (InDel) primers, and 20 cis-element amplification polymorphism (CEAP) primers. The results indicated that the number of alleles (Na) was 298, among which the number of effective alleles (Ne) was 182.426 (accounting for approximately 61.2%). The mean value of the genetic diversity index was 0.836. The polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.639-0.907 (mean = 0.819), indicating a high level of polymorphism. These sugar beet varieties were classified into six clusters using the UPGMA method of cluster analysis. Population structure analysis revealed that the most ideal K value was 6. This indicated that the test materials could be divided into six categories, consistent with the clustering results. The clustering results indicated that most sugar beet varieties from the same breeding company clustered together, and the genetic distance between them was small, indicating that they may share the same male and/or female parent. Some varieties from different companies clustered together, indicating a narrow genetic base and potential exchange of germplasm resources between breeding companies. This study revealed the genetic differences among exotic sugar beet varieties and characteristics of the population structure. It provided a scientific basis for the identification of sugar beet varieties and markers-assisted breeding in China in the future.

Upcycling of Food By-Products and Waste: Nonthermal Green Extractions and Life Cycle Assessment Approach

Food loss and waste constitute a substantial threat to global food system sustainability, representing 38% of energy consumption in the supply chain. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights a vision integrating social, economic, and environmental pillars. Addressing environmental impact requires recycling (destruction for new creations) and upcycling (converting waste into valuable products). This review highlights nonthermal green extractions and sustainable techniques in upcycling raw materials such as olives, red beetroot, sugar beet, and coffee, which are widely used in the food industry. Nonthermal processing efficiently extracts bioactive compounds and utilizes waste. Key approaches for its valorization include life cycle assessment, environmental footprint analysis, energy efficiency strategies, digitalization, and sustainability considerations. However, challenges remain in calculating their environmental impact. Waste and by-product valorization from raw materials address disposal issues, offering economic and environmental benefits. Nonthermal techniques show optimistic opportunities in green extraction and sustainable upcycling. The focus is on raw materials including olives, red beetroot, sugar beet, and coffee byproducts, and possible product development. There are powerful connections offering industry tools for impactful sustainability management and guiding decisions on waste-to-value or ‘upcycling’ products. The review contributes to filling the gap in usage of nonthermal processing in upcycling of waste and by-products.

Sulfur dioxide in white sugar: Source of income, reference values

Sulfur dioxide is one of the classic essential technological processing aids used in modern technology for the production of white beet sugar. The technological and safe use of sulfites (sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite and sodium hydrosulfite) in the formation of the food system of the sugar production process flow has been substantiated, and their functional effect is shown. It has been established that the change in the content of sulfur dioxide in white sugar under the influence of an antifoam, antiscale agent and decolorant in the doses used in massecuite occurred in accordance with the principle of additivity. The presence of the additive property was confirmed by the maximum approximation of the algebraic sum of the effects of each agent, amounting to 5.6%, to the range of variation in the values of the sulfur dioxide content (5.9) at a significance level of p=0.05. The dependence of the sulfur dioxide content in white sugar in a range of 0 to 6.5 mg/kg on the influence of the decolorant and defoamer in a dose range of 100 to 200 and of 4 to 6 g/t of massecuite was established. It has been revealed that increasing the minimum optimal dose of the decolorant to the maximum leads to an increase in the content of sulfur dioxide in white sugar by 1.7 times. Confidence intervals for the general mean were calculated based on the assumption of normal data distribution and a significance level of p=0.05. The reference values for the sulfur dioxide content in white sugar of the four categories were 1.28–2.69 mg/kg, and the upper limit level with consideration for the confidence interval was 1.39–3.01 mg/kg. The established reference values can be used at sugar factories in the production control system, and also provide an evidence base for comparison and assessment of this indicator of the white sugar safety for industrial consumers.

Covalent Pectin/Arabinoxylan Hydrogels: Rheological and Microstructural Characterization.

This research aimed to evaluate the gelation process of ferulated pectin (FP) and ferulated arabinoxylan (AXF) in a new mixed hydrogel and determine its microstructural characteristics. FP from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and arabinoxylan from maize (Zea mays) bran were gelled via oxidative coupling using laccase as a crosslinking agent. The dynamic oscillatory rheology of the mixed hydrogel revealed a maximum storage modulus of 768 Pa after 60 min. The scanning electron microscopy images showed that mixed hydrogels possess a microstructure of imperfect honeycomb. The ferulic acid content of the mixed hydrogel was 3.73 mg/g, and ferulic acid dimer 8-5' was the most abundant. The presence of a trimer was also detected. This study reports the distribution and concentration of ferulic acid dimers, and the rheological and microstructural properties of a mixed hydrogel based on FP and AXF, which has promising features as a new covalent biopolymeric material.