Sugar Beet: A Historical Perspective in Indian Context

Abstract

Sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) was introduced in India in 1950s. Exploratory trials for root and seed crop were carried out by Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, India all over the country and suitable sites were identified. It was observed that sugarbeet could be grown in the rabi season in the plains of north India for its roots which contain 13–15 % sugar; and the seed crop could be grown in the hills above an altitude of 5,000′. An All India Coordinated Project was launched by the ICAR in 1971 to carry out multi-location research on sugarbeet and concurrent with this was the establishment of a sugarcane-cum-sugarbeet sugar factory at Sriganganagar in Rajasthan. The project and the factory were operational for nearly three decades and the crop was well established in that area. However, there was no expansion in the area as no new sugar factory with the additional machinery required to process sugarbeet came up. The situation has been confounded by no government policy of incentive for setting up a washing, slicing and diffusion plant in the existing sugarcane factories. The current scenario is no different except that there are now openings for production of ethanol from sugarbeet. The Indian Sugar Industry is getting sensitized to the feasibility of sugarbeet cultivation. The reason for sugarbeet not picking up commercially is mainly the lack of market. Since it is an industrial crop, no seed money or incentives have been given to the sugar industry for installing the additional machinery. The work done at IISR along with other partners from time to time (such as GBPAUT, RAU, YSPUFH, BCKVV, MPKVV, VSI, etc.), has left no doubt about the agricultural feasibility of sugarbeet in the country. Varieties, machines, agronomy and plant protection technologies have been developed for growing sugarbeet in the subtropical and tropical India. The IISR is actively involved in sugarbeet germplasm maintenance and limited seed production at its breeding outpost at IVRI, Mukteswar since 1976. India stands to gain from capitalizing on the potential of sugarbeet for sugar, ethanol and fodder. It offers to enhance the livelihood options of hill farmers by growing the required sugarbeet seed in India. Sugarbeet being a halophyte can bring under cultivation a large area afflicted with salinity in the country.