Studies on the Chemical Quality of Sugar Beet in the Warmer Region of Japan : 1. Plant development and changes in nitrogeneous compounds in sugar beet plant sown in summer

Abstract

The studies were carried out to know the chemical characteristics of sugar beets sown in summer in Okayama, neighbouring district of the Inland Sea of Seto. Sugar beet of the variety Donyu No. 3 (GW 443) sown in August 4 1960 and the samples were taken from October 10 to the beginning of May. At the end of this experiment the plant have bolting. Harvested plants were seperated into blades and petioles, crowns and roots. At harvest the fresh weights of the four parts of the plants were recorded and samples for chemical analysis were taken. In this paper described the uptake of nitrogen, the changes in content of protein and soluble nitrogen, moisture and dry matter content of sugar beet plant. The results are summerized as follows: 1. The morphorogical and chemical changes in sugar beet plant sown in summer may be divided into four stages during from autum to the next spring. 2. Within the year, especially, during about 2.5∼3 months after germinated (late October or early November) nitrogen uptake, water absorption, content of protein and dry matter are increased considerably in the plant, and contributed effectively to the growth of tops and root. Following this stage, as the temperature and daylight decreased gradually, the growth of new leaves and root are retarded, but their lives are maintained. Leaves have tendency towards lowering of protein and increasing of soluble nitrogen in blades. Otherwise, root have high in soluble nitrogen in winter, and it causes to decline in quality of root for beet sugar processing. In the next early spring, the nitrogen uptake, and dry matter content in plant are increased greatly and regrowth of top and root are accelerated. 3. Sugar beet sown in summer and grown in the warmer region of Japan has remarkable weight of crown. Therefore, when we want to know the growing stage or maturity of plant sown in summer, we prefere to have the ratio in weight of leaf to root to the ratio of top to root.