Seed production and quality

The seed is one of the most important factors in the production of the sugar-beet root crop, particularly since the change from multigerm varieties sown at high seed rates to monogerm varieties which are usually planted to a stand without subsequent thinning. Sugar beet is a biennial plant, and although the root crop which provides the raw material for sugar production is grown in a single season, seed production requires a second year for reproductive growth.