Where is beet suitable for growing? Detailed explanation of cultivation methods and edible value

Beet, also known as beetroot, is a biennial herbaceous plant and a major source of sugar besides sugarcane. So, where is beet suitable for growing? How is it cultivated? What edible value does it have?

1. Where is beet suitable for growing?

Beet grows well in deep, soft soil rich in organic matter; both chemical fertilizers and manure are effective. Irrigation is commonly practiced, and it can tolerate soil with relatively high salinity and alkalinity, but it is sensitive to strongly acidic soil and low boron. Boron deficiency inhibits growth and causes black heart disease in the roots. Beet is widely planted in temperate and cold-temperate regions, while in warm regions it is planted in the cool season. Under suitable climate conditions, the growing period of table beet is 8 to 10 weeks, while some fodder beets can take as long as 30 weeks.

In the first year of growth, it is mainly vegetative growth, which can be divided into 4 stages: seedling, luxuriant leaf cluster, root sugar increase and sugar accumulation. In the second year of growth, it is mainly reproductive growth, which can be divided into 4 stages: leaf cluster, bolting, flowering and seed formation. Beet is a thermophilic crop, but it has relatively strong cold tolerance. The whole growth period requires an accumulated temperature of 2800 to 3200°C above a base temperature of 10°C. The suitable average temperature during the root growth period is above 19°C. When the temperature at a soil depth of 5 to 10 cm reaches above 15°C, the root grows fastest, and below 4°C it almost stops growing.

2. How is beet cultivated?

In areas with a relatively late final frost period and strong spring winds, after the seedlings emerge, measures against frost and wind should be taken. In double-cropping summer sowing areas and in the western North China and northwestern beet areas with irrigation conditions, paper pot seedling transplanting is used, which has a good effect on preserving beet seedlings in saline-alkali land and under spring drought conditions, and the root yield and sugar content can also be higher than with direct sowing. Using plastic film mulching cultivation is helpful for obtaining early, complete and strong seedlings and prompting the roots to reach technological maturity earlier. When drilling, there should be more than 50 seedlings per meter; when hill planting, more than 20 seedlings per hill. After emergence, thinning and final thinning should be carried out in time.

3. What edible value does beet have?

Beet is very easy to digest, helps improve appetite, and can also relieve headaches. Beet also has the effect of preventing colds and anemia. Cold-dressed beetroot is simple to prepare; after peeling and cutting the beet into strips, it can be seasoned freely. Beetroot juice is rich in nitrite substances and has effects such as lowering blood pressure and preventing Alzheimer's disease. In addition, beet can directly produce white sugar through the diffusion method for sugar extraction and carbonation clarification, but it does not produce raw sugar.

Beetroot also contains iodine, which has a certain therapeutic effect on preventing goiter and preventing and treating atherosclerosis. The root and leaves of beetroot contain a betaine component that is not found in other vegetables. It has biochemical pharmacological functions similar to choline and lecithin, is an effective regulator of metabolism, can accelerate the human body's absorption of protein and improve liver function. Beetroot also contains a saponin substance, which combines cholesterol in the intestines into a mixed substance that is not easily absorbed and excretes it. Beetroot also contains a considerable amount of magnesium, which regulates and softens the hardening intensity of blood vessels and prevents the formation of thrombi in blood vessels, playing an important role in treating high blood pressure. Beetroot also contains a large amount of cellulose and pectin components, and research has found that it has a factor function against gastric ulcers. In medical practice, it also has a laxative function that can eliminate excess water in the abdomen and relieve abdominal distension. Because it contains elements such as iron, copper and manganese, it can also treat anemia and other diseases.