Weather causes bumpy start to sugar beet harvest in MV | NDR.de – News

This year, the 300 or so sugar beet farms in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are facing particular challenges with the sugar beet harvest. The weather at the start of the harvest a few days ago was anything but ideal: dryness and heat made it difficult to clear the fields and store the beets.

Drought makes clearing difficult

The heat and lack of rain in recent weeks have made the soil dry and hard in many places. This means that the beet harvesters, which weigh several tons, can only harvest relatively slowly. As experience from previous years has shown, situations can arise in which harvesting is temporarily impossible. The rain of the past few days has not helped much, farmer Bosse Keppler from Kemmnitz near Greifswald told NDR 1 Radio MV. It is more like a drop in the ocean.

Longer storage improves the quality of the beets

Before Keppler transported his harvested beets to the sugar factory in Anklam, he stored them at the edge of the field. The weekend heat had already taken its toll there. Loading and unloading during harvesting causes many beets to suffer minor damage, such as abrasions and bruises. A biological mechanism in the beet ensures that the damaged areas are regenerated as best as possible. However, the energy from the sugar stored in the fruit is used to do this – with the result that the sugar content of the beets drops.

Sugar content at the beginning average

The first samples were taken in the Western Pomerania region last week and according to the sugar factory in Anklam, the Brix value – the sugar content of the beets – was 16.2 percent. This is a fairly average value. However, with the early harvesting at the start of the sugar beet harvest, it is usual for the sugar content to not be as high as later in the beet campaign. This value will most likely increase in the coming months. The beets that come from the field to the factory later were able to produce sugar for longer. Up to 22 percent is possible for some varieties. The Anklam workers would be happy with values ​​of around 18 to 20 percent.

Growers’ association expects good harvest results

According to the country’s sugar beet growers’ association, a relatively good result is expected this year in terms of sugar content and harvest quantities. The rainy months of spring and early summer were very important for the “queen of crops” – this is what the sugar beet is also called because it is considered a very demanding soil crop. To grow, it needs particularly nutrient-rich soil with a good water supply and a warm climate. If all goes well, farmers in the country could harvest a total of more than two and a half million tons of sugar beet.

More information

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There is a lack of supplies for transport – due to the large amounts of rain, many fields are currently barely passable. more