Relationships among impurity components, sucrose, and sugarbeet processing quality

Authors: Campbell, Larry; Fugate, Karen

Submitted to: Journal of Sugar Beet Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/22/2015
Publication Date: 8/3/2015
Citation: Campbell, L.G., Fugate, K.K. 2015. Relationships among impurity components, sucrose, and sugarbeet processing quality. Journal of Sugar Beet Research. 52(1-2):2-21.

Interpretive Summary: Sodium, potassium, and amino-nitrogen, are naturally-occurring constituents of the sugarbeet root, referred to as impurities, which impede sucrose extraction during routine factory operations and are frequently used in calculations to determine payments to growers. Three lines selected for low sodium, potassium, or amino-nitrogen and a line selected for high amino-nitrogen concentration from the same original population and two lines selected from another source, one for high and the other for low amino nitrogen concentration, were the basis for examining relationships among the individual impurity components and between the impurity components and sucrose concentration, the portion of sucrose extracted during normal processing. Concentrations of the three impurity components were altered through selection; however, in no case did this result in a consistent significant increase in sucrose concentration or estimates of the proportion of the sucrose that would be extracted. Correlation analyses indicated a larger role for sodium than for potassium or amino-nitrogen in determining relative sucrose concentration. However, increases in the quantity of sugar that would be available for marketing were not significant in the line selected for low sodium, compared to the population from which it was derived. The probability of significant improvement in the processing quality of elite parental lines and hybrids by reducing the concentration of a single impurity component appears to be low, based upon the populations examined in this study.

Technical Abstract: Sodium, potassium, amino-nitrogen, and invert sugar are naturally-occurring constituents of the sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) root, referred to as impurities, which impede sucrose extraction during routine factory operations. Three germplasm lines selected for low sodium, potassium, or amino-nitrogen and a line selected for high amino-nitrogen concentration from the same parental population and two lines selected from another source, one for high and the other for low amino nitrogen concentration, were the basis for examining relationships among the impurity components and between the impurity components and sucrose concentration, sucrose loss to molasses, and sucrose extraction rate. Concentrations of the three impurity components were altered through selection; however, in no case did this result in a consistent significant increase in sucrose concentration or estimates of the proportion of the sucrose that would be extracted. Correlation analyses indicated a larger role for sodium than for potassium or amino-nitrogen in determining relative sucrose concentration. However, increases in the quantity of sugar that would be available for marketing were not significant in the line selected for low sodium, compared to the parental population. The probability of significant improvement in the processing quality of elite germplasm by reducing the concentration of individual impurity components appears to be low, based upon the populations examined in this study.