Sugar beet is an important agricultural crop, widely cultivated for sugar and related products. It is a biennial plant, with a long root with a hard white pulp and rosette of basal leaves formed in the first year. Modern sugar beet varieties contain 18-20% sugar, making it a valuable raw material for the sugar industry. In addition to sugar, sugar beet yields pulp, molasses, and dregs, which find wide application: molasses is used for the production of alcohol, glycerine, citric acid, and yeast, dregs serve as an effective fertilizer, and pulp is a nutritious feed for farm animals. Ethanol is also produced from sugar beet, which is used as biofuel and can replace diesel fuel. Sugar beet is heat-loving and heat-tolerant, the optimal temperature for its growth and development is 20-22°C, but photosynthesis occurs successfully even at temperatures above 40°C. Seeds germinate over a wide temperature range from +4 to +17°C, while the time of seedling emergence depends directly on the temperature: at lower temperatures, seedlings appear significantly later. The plant is very water-demanding, especially during intensive root crop growth in July-August. Thanks to a well-developed root system capable of absorbing water from a depth of up to 2.5 meters, sugar beet is relatively drought-resistant. During the pre-harvest period, it can withstand frosts down to -5°C, but lower temperatures can negatively affect sugar accumulation. For successful cultivation of sugar beet, optimal lighting and temperature conditions are important. Seeds can germinate at +5°C, but the most favorable temperature is considered to be 13-15°C. Lack of light and moisture negatively affects crop yield and plant sugar content. Thus, proper selection of growing conditions and timely care ensure high quality and quantity of sugar beet crop, making it an indispensable crop for the agro-industrial complex.
