Effect of Nitrogen and Irrigation Levels, Location and Year on Sucrose Concentration of Sugarbeets in Southern Idaho *

Sucrose concentration of sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris L.) grown in the U.S. varies over a wide range of 10 to 20 percent. Within a climatic zone such as tration varies over a narrower 20 percent. This variation in southern Idaho, sucrose concenbut still wide range of 14 to sucrose concentration is due to many factors that include variety (19, 24, 26), nitrogen (N) level (18, 23), growth patterns of the crop (3, 16, 25, 29), climatic conditions (1, 22, 28), and other factors that are not fully understood. Refined sucrose production is based on the product of root yield and extractable sucrose concentration. Therefore, it is of prime importance to have practices and conditions that provide adequate root growth while maintaining sufficiently high sucrose percentages and purity for profitable sucrose extraction and yield.