Temperate Vegetables (1+1)

BEET ROOT

AIM: Beet root or garden beet or table beet is an important home and market garden crop of India grown during winter season for its fleshy enlarged roots. It can be eaten raw as salad, cooked with other vegetables and with meat and is also grown for processing. Beet root is rich in minerals and vitamin-C. The garden beet, sugar beet, swiss chard, mangel and palak, all belong to the same genus and species Beta vulgaris. The present chapter will make the students familiar with its importance, production technology, seed production practices and plant protection measures.

BOTANICAL NAME	Beta vulgaris L
COMMON NAME	Chukander
CHROMOSOME NUMBER	2n=18
FAMILY	Chenopodiaceae
ORIGIN	Mediterranean region

USES

• Beet root (Chukandar) is not so popular vegetable crop in India.
• Its root contain high percentage of sugar. It is also rich in protein, Ca, P, Fe & vitamin C.
• It is mainly used as salad in five star hotels in India, and also cooked as vegetable preferably mixed with other vegetables.
• Beet root is also suitable for pickling.
• Beet root is short stem plant, the simple leaves bear close spiral arrangement of leaves at the crown.
• Large sized beets are used for canning.
• The colour of the leaves may vary from dark red to light green.

PIGMENTATION

• Red colour of table beets is due to betacynin, a nitrogen containing compound, with chemical properties similar to anthocynins. Also contains a yellow pigment betaranthin.

AREA AND PRODUCTION

• Though, the exact area in beet root is not available, however in 2008, the area under root and tuber crops (combined) was 2.18 million hectares with an annual production of 44.6million tones (NHB, 2010).

NUTRITIVE VALUE (per 100 g of edible portion)

Moisture (%)	87.7	P (mg)	55
Protein (g)	1.7	Fe (mg)	1
Carbohydrate (g)	8.8	Vitamin-C (mg)	10
Fats (g)	0.1	Thiamine (mg)	0.04
Energy (kcal)	43	Riboflavin (mg)	0.09
Fat (g)	0.1	Energy(Kcal)	43

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

• It is essentially a cool weather crops, hence it grows best in winters in plains of India.
• It is rich in sugar and intense red in colour.
• High sugar content is accumulated under cool weather.
• High temperature for root growth result in poor colour development of the root.
• The optimum temperature for root growth is 18-21^oC obtained always in cool climate and at a temperature below 10^oC for couple of week’s results in bolting which affects root development.
• Mild climatic conditions are suitable for beet growing under warmer conditions.
• Beet root shows alternate white and coloured circles when sliced.
• Excessive hot weather causes ‘zoning’ – the appearance of alternating light and dark red concentric circles in the rot.
• It is a direct sown crop and can be harvested in 120-130days, whereas, transplanted crop comes to harvest in 135 to 150days.

SOIL

• Soil should be rich in organic matter.
• Preparation of land should be done by ploughing deeply and harrowing till it becomes well pulverized and finally prepared seed bed retains adequate soil moisture which induces early germination and provides favourable conditions for root development.
• Beet root is sensitive to high acidity as it is slightly tolerant to acidity (pH as low as 6.0 only).
• This is only vegetable which can successfully be grown is saline and alkaline soils up to 9 to 10 pH.