© British Sugar 2010 Growing sugar beet Learning objectives: Recognise the stages of farming sugar beet Understand why sugar beet contains a high concentration of sugar

© British Sugar 2010 Sugar beet Sugar beet is a large pale brown root crop, similar to parsnip and has a sugar content of approximately 16% when it is harvested. It grows in the temperate climes of Europe and North America. Britain's first sugar beet crop was grown and processed in Norfolk almost 100 years ago. Today there are over 4,000 sugar beet growers in the UK, many of whom are situated in East Anglia. This is mainly due to the flat land which is suited for farming.

© British Sugar 2010 Introduction to the UK In the United Kingdom sugar beet provides just over half of all the sugar consumed. The beet sugar industry in Britain began in the 1920s to: Make Britain more self-sufficient in sugar production after the shortages of World War I ( ) Boost the depressed agricultural industry by growing a valuable cash crop

© British Sugar 2010 Growing sugar beet Preparing the fields for sugar beet begins in August and September when the soil is tested to check the level of minerals and acidity in the soil before the field is ploughed.

© British Sugar 2010 Planting the crop Drilling (sowing) seeds in the earth, generally takes place in early March to mid April, but can be influenced by seasonal weather conditions.

© British Sugar 2010 Choice of seeds There are six different types of seed, which are selected for their: Early or late germination Resistance to disease Suitability to different soil types

© British Sugar 2010 Spraying Nitrogen fertilizer is applied in April and May to help the crop grow. Specialist herbicides may be sprayed over the fields between April and June to help prevent weeds growing.

© British Sugar 2010 The campaign Timing is critical in the growing and harvesting of sugar beet. The harvesting period, known as the campaign, takes place between September and February when the amount of sugar in the beet is at its highest.

© British Sugar 2010 The campaign Harvesters cut off the top and leaves of the sugar beet. The tops are used as animal feed for cattle and sheep or are ploughed back into the land as a natural fertilizer. Sugar beet fields create important resources for wildlife, in particular rare species of birds, such as pink footed geese which feed on the remaining beet tops.

© British Sugar 2010 The campaign The crop is harvested and delivered according to factory demands and is spread evenly through the delivery period. A small percentage of the crop towards the end of the campaign is stored in clamps, which are protected from potential frost by clamp covering materials, such as hay bales, before delivery to the factory.

© British Sugar 2010 Transport Sugar beet is a heavy, bulky crop and the sugar factories have been built in the beet growing areas to reduce transport distances.

© British Sugar 2010 Producers or consumers? When a plant grows, it uses light (from the sun) to make its food. Plants are called producers because they make (produce) their own food. Insects and animals that eat plants are called consumers. This is because they eat (consume) the plants for food. They do not make their own food.

© British Sugar 2010 Photosynthesis All green plants produce sugars. They take up water and minerals from the soil through their roots and carbon dioxide through their leaves. Leaves contain a green substance called chlorophyll (this gives plants their characteristic colour). Photosynthesis is the process which plants use to produce their food (glucose, a simple sugar). Chlorophyll absorbs light from the sun.

© British Sugar 2010 Photosynthesis The sugars produced by photosynthesis provide an immediate source of energy for plants to live and grow. If a plant makes more than it uses up, it must store it. The excess glucose is turned into sugar or starch. Sugar is made by sugar beet and stored in the root. Excess sugars can be stored as sucrose. This provides an energy reserve at night, when plants cannot photosynthesise.

© British Sugar 2010 Respiration Respiration is the process where plants use the food they make, allowing them to grow and produce leaves, flowers and seeds or fruit. Respiration occurs at any time of day or night. If plants are placed too close together, they will compete for light, nutrients and water in the ground and not grow well.

© British Sugar 2010 Label the parts of a beet: Leaves Stem Roots Word bank: Leaves Stem Roots Which part of the sugar beet is used to make food? Which part of the sugar beet absorbs the water? What is the main route of transfer from the leaves to the root?

© British Sugar 2010 Producing sugars The term used to describe the process by which plants make sugar is photosynthesis. It comes from the Greek word photo (light) and synthesis (putting together), so in simple terms plants use light to join water and carbon dioxide. The chlorophyll uses light energy from the sun to combine carbon dioxide and water to produce sugar. The by-product of this process is oxygen. sunlight and chlorophyll 6 CO H 2 O → C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2 KS4

© British Sugar 2010 Photosynthesis Photosynthesis is carried out in cells in the leaves. As a result of photosynthesis the sugars glucose, fructose and sucrose are produced. The process of osmosis allows glucose molecules to move out of cells in the leaves and around the plant. Sugars are also used as building blocks for making all the other substances which plants need for growth and repair. For example, sugars can be used to make complex substances (dietary fibre) which form plant cell walls and provide the plant with structure and support. Glucose can be used by plants to make starch which is made up of long, branched chains of glucose. KS4

© British Sugar 2010 Xylem Phloem Root hairs Stomata Describe in detail where the parts of the plant below would be found: Word bank: Xylem Phloem Root hairs Stomata KS4

© British Sugar 2010 Parts of the plant The xylem carries water from the roots to the leaves and stems of the plant. Inside the cell where photosynthesis occurs, the concentration of glucose and sucrose (sugar) will be higher. The main function of the stomata is to allow gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor and oxygen to move rapidly into and out of the leaf. The glucose and other sugars move from the cells in the leaf to be stored in the root through the channel called the phloem. KS4