Sugar Beets

Beta Vulgaris

Sugar beet is the source of much of the commercial table sugar in the US, but is also a highly preferred deer plant. Deer relish both the foliage and the large, sugar laden root. Sugar beets can be a very useful cover crop, especially on salty soils where few other plants succeed. Sugar beets can provide highly nutritious pasture, but should only form part of the ration due to high oxalate content. High calcium plants such as legumes can counteract the oxalate. Sugar beets can be finicky to establish, requiring very good seed to soil contact to germinate. This can be accomplished with good planting eqipment, such as seed firmers, on the planter or drill. Pure stand seeding rate is 4 lbs per acre, and seeding depth is. 5-1 inch. Planting date for cover crop or deer forage can range from late spring through August, with earlier plantings giving higher yields.