The beet (Beta vulgaris L.) has been used as a source of food (leaf and root vegetable) throughout recorded history. Early reports also indicate widespread medicinal uses. B. vulgaris includes a wide variety of types, such as the large mangel (fodder beet), red table beet, and Swiss chard.Sugarbeet is one of our newest major crop plants, having its origin less than 200 years ago when a German chemist, A. S. Marggraf, first discovered sugar (sucrose) in beets in 1747.
The wild beet is a native of the Mediterranean area but is found as far north as England and Scandinavia, as far east as India, and as far west as the Canary Islands. Sugarbeet has been adapted to many different types of climates. It is grown successfully in the temperate climates of Europe, the countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU), United States, Canada, Japan, and China, as well as parts of South America, North Africa, and the Near East.
The first successful sugar factory began operations at Cunern, Silesia, in 1802, and from there, production spread throughout Europe and the FSU.The first recorded efforts to extract sugar from sugarbeets in the United States on a commercial basis started in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1838. The venture produced 1300 pounds of crude sugar the first year of operation and went out of business 3 years later. Subsequent attempts were made in Utah, Wisconsin, Maine, Delaware, and California; and for various reasons, they were all short-lived.
In 1870, a processing plant was constructed at Alvarado, California, that proved to be the forerunner of the U.S. beet sugar industry. Expansion came rapidly, and, in the next 30 years, 39 plants were constructed. In 1986, there were 36 sugar-processing factories in operation.
Today, about 31% of the world sugar consumed and 47% of the U.S. sugar consumed is produced from sugarbeet. The U.S. industry has become more efficient and is processing more sugarbeets at fewer factories and, today, there are 34 sugarbeet-processing factories in operation. Production in 1994/95 was a record outrun of 4.49 million short tons, raw value.
Sugarbeet is a high-value cash crop, with an annual production value of over $1.2 billion. It ranks 7th among U.S. agricultural row crops in annual production value, and 55% of U.S. sugar production is from sugarbeets.
There are five major sugarbeet growing areas in the United States.
Sugarbeet production increased to a high of 1.6 million acres in 1969. There has been a shift in acreage in the past 10 years, i.e., expansion in the Red River Valley and a decrease in the Far West area.
| Area | States | 1995 Acreage |
|---|---|---|
| Far West | CA, OR, WA | 128,200 |
| Intermountain | ID, OR | 216,400 |
| Great Plains | CO, MT, NE, TX, WY | 250,600 |
| Red River Valley | MN, ND | 625,000 |
| Great Lakes | MI, OH | 204,700 |
Sugarbeet acreage is predicted to rise to about 1.55 million acres in the year 2000. Sugarbeet's total share of U.S. domestic sugar production is expected to grow during the same time period to about 60 percent.
Red table beet is a minor but important crop in the U.S. Because of its close relationship to sugarbeet (both are Beta vulgaris), red beet can be successfully grown in many of the same regions of the U.S. Production of beets in the U.S. for canning was estimated at approximately 150,000 tons in 1994. Few data are available for production of fresh market red beet; however, this comprises an important vegetable commodity for sale at local markets. Wisconsin produces approximately 40% of the U.S. red beet crop, and, historically, has been a leader in beet processing.
Betalain dyes from red beet roots have been successfully used in commercial food coloring operations for a number of years, and continue to be an important source of red coloring in the food industry. Many synthetic red dyes have been either banned by the Food and Drug Administration, or are in danger of losing their permitted status due to suspected carcinogenic effects. In addition, consumer preference for natural over synthetic products has increased dramatically in recent years, suggesting the widespread level of acceptance for natural food additives derived from plant tissues.