High-performing, sustainable and sweet

In Germany, around 400,000 hectares of farmland are dedicated to sugarbeet cultivation. A total of 18 factories process the harvest into sugar. Beet can also be used to make ethanol, as feed in cattle farming, or to produce biogas.

Agricultural benefits

Sown in the spring (as a summer crop), the beet is a leafy crop that breaks up the crop rotation. Its deep root system has a positive effect on soil structure and it can absorb nutrients and water even from deeper soil layers. Due to its long growing season, it covers the ground well into the fall, absorbs nitrogen and leaves behind a low nitrate content before winter – thus helping to conserve water and the soil. Under changing weather conditions or during dry periods, it benefits from its efficient use of water, well-developed root system and long growing season.

Breeding progress

Locally adapted sugarbeet varieties with high yields now combine multiple tolerance and resistance traits to withstand a wide range of pests. In particular, CR+ varieties with high protection against Cercospora, as well as CONVISO^® SMART varieties, are part of integrated plant protection and offer great potential for reducing resource use. Yield progress in sugarbeet is currently around two percent per annum.

Regional product

The sugar is produced from domestically grown beets. Approximately six to seven beets are needed to obtain one kilogram of sugar. Byproducts include beet pulp, molasses and carbocalc. Beet leaves and tops remain in the field as organic matter. Germany has a sugar self-sufficiency rate of 159 percent: Most of the sugar produced is processed into food and beverages, while around 12 percent goes directly to end consumers or to the retail sector. |