Complete: Analysis of the causes of recent changes in beet amino-N and alkalinity

Timescale: 2005- 2008

Project Lead: P Jarvis, G Milford, K Jaggard, M Armstrong and B Houghton

Project Sponsor: Broom's Barn and British Sugar

Project Summary

Since the mid 1990s, the average concentration of amino-N in beet delivered to British Sugar factories has decreased progressively from around 160 to 70mg/100g/sugar at a rate of approximately 8 units per year. The decrease has been accompanied by a marked shift and narrowing of the frequency distribution of the amino-N contents of individual contracts so that over 30% of the national contracts now deliver beet with less than 70 mg amino-N/100g sugar compared with less than 1% a little over a decade ago.

Main Objectives

Since the mid 1990s, the average concentration of amino-N in beet delivered to British Sugar factories has decreased progressively from around 160 to 70mg/100g/sugar. A decade ago less than 1% of the delivered beet had amino-N concentrations of less than 70 mg/100g sugar – the proportion is now over 30%. A similar pattern has been seen in the Sudzucker factories in Germany.

Latest Report

Final Report 2008

Outcomes / Key Message For Growers And Industry

The main conclusions relating to the recent downward trends in the amino-N contents of beet (kg/ha) were that (a) they were not associated with lower inputs of N from fertilizers or manures and (b) they were associated more with improvements in agronomy, husbandry and seasonal growing conditions than with the introduction of varieties having a lower concentration of amino-N.