Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1911-04-15
CLIMATE AND SOIL
FOR SUGAR BEETS

The following is taken from Bulletin
No. IS of the Agricultural Experimen
Station of the University of Nevada, re
lating to the sugar beet industry i'll. Ne
vada. This bulletin can be obtained b,
those who contemplate trying the raising
of beets by asking for it. There ar,
many things i'll the Bulletin which be
ginner i'll the sugar beet business should
know:
Experience has shown that the sugar
beet reaches its highest development III
the north temperate ATTITUDES. Although
the conditions of temperature must be
taken into consideration in selecting To-
calities for the growing of sugar beets,
must also be studied those of rainfall or
water supply.
The sugar beet requires certain
amount Of moisture in order to produce
it normal crop. This water NAV be sup
piled by precipitation in the usual way,
by irrigation, or else the soil must be of
that particular quality which will allow
subterranean moisture to reach the roots
OF the plants The porous and sandy
soils adjacent to rivers sometimes furnish
sufficient amount of subterranean
moisture to produce good crop in con-
uection with the rainfall,
in general heets require four or five
months of growing weather for their sue
cessful production. In Nevada where
the moisture is applied by irrigation, the
crop may be harvested at certain stage,
thus making the conditions IDEAL, In
the more eastern sections OF the coun-
try, where the moisture is applied by
rainfall, second growth may occur
after maturity, caused by rain, which
greatly reduces the sugar ean,ent Of the
beet.
The sugar beet does remarkably we'll
at high elevations Fl om the fact that it is
injured very little by frost and hailstorms
unless they are too severe or too early,
Profitable crops of sugar beets are, how
ever, seldom produced above the eleva-
ton of 5000 feet
Probably the best soil for sugar heets
Is a good. deep clayey loan with sufiic-
lent sand or silt to allow its being easily
pulverized. This should be uuderlaid
with a pervious stratum, not coarse
enough to allow rapid percolation. Such
soils are quite common i'll most OF the
irrigated valleys OF Nevada. The clay
loan soils require more work than the
lighter soils, and are put i'll proper filth
with greater difficulty, although they are
richer in available plant food and are not
readily exhausted by continuous crop
ping. Since the moisture is applied by
irrigation, using the furrow method,
there is little danger Of crust forming
on the surface around the plants, as is
the case after rains
Since the sugar beet is deep rooted it
necessarily requires deep soil The
low wet soils are poorly adapted to this
crop, as they are wet and prevent any
rapid development of the crop in the
early stages OF growth, and the later
growth continues beyond the time of
maturity. Such soils produce a watery
beet of low quality. resulting i'll a low
sugar content. Soils which have a hard
pan formation within Is inches of the
surface should never be used, since they
greatly interfere with root growth, and
also have a tendency to lose moisture
Stony and gravelly soils should be
avoided, since they are incapable OF
holding water, and stony soils prevent
the proper development in form of roots,
which " essential for the highest quality
of beet. Sandy soils which have a tend
ency to blow should never he used, as
the ngplants are frequently destroyed
by strong winds,
In sections Of Nevada where sugar
beets are grown some of the soils con-
tain more or less alkali II has been
found, however, that sugar beets will with.
stand greater amount OF alkali in the
soil than almost any other crop Large
quantities of alkali in soils will prevent
the proper development of the plant and
lower the quality of the Juice. Lands
covered with a white crust in early spring
contain large amounts of sulphate salt.
or white alkali, and should be avoided
for sugar beet culture. The carbonate
salts or black alkali are far more injuri
Gus than the white alkaii salts.
The sugar beet requires deep, mel
low soil quite rich in available plant foot
and free from weed growth 1t is diff
cult to prepare land for sugar heets o,
which alfalfa has been growing for severa
years, since considerable difficulty is me
IN preventing the growth OF alfalfa /,
the beet field,
Best results have been obtained il
beet growing by blowing in the fall at
depth of not less Than eight inches