Warm Season
Sugar Beet is a biennial broadleaf. During the first year, the plant is composed of large basal leaves. For most of the Prairies, plants are frost tolerant but not winter hardy. Sugar beets are quite saline tolerant. Putting sugar beets in blends does take some thought. They are not overly competitive. If seeded in a high percentage sugar beet blend, they will choke out weeds. If grazed, they regrow quickly. They are high protein, high relative feed value, and low fibre. The leaves can grow relatively quite tall so they could be including in silage or hay blends. Drought tolerance is low. The tuber develops late in the summer and into the fall. As a biennial, it produces the tuber for overwintering, which in western Canada would be rare to see. As the name suggests, sugar beet plants are high in sugar. The tap root does a good job of breaking up soil hard pan.
Seeds per pound: 10,000 Seeds/sq ft/pound 0.27
Uses:
- Erosion control
- Soil builder
- Nitrogen scavenger
- Weed suppression
- Grazing potential
- Hay potential
- Salinity fighter
- Breaks up soil hard pan
Strengths:
- Salinity tolerance
- High moisture tolerance
Concerns:
Not very competitive in a blend with fast growing species. Requires fertile soil. Low drought tolerance.
Grazing:
Good. Need to blend with grasses and legumes.
Hay:
Good. Need to blend with grass for hay. Dry down could be an issue.
Mycorrhizal support? No
