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Purchase printed publication
Summary of full report
by B R Weeden
December 2000
RIRDC Publication No 00/167
RIRDC Project No DAQ-211A
Executive Summary
Sugar beet is grown in the temperate climates of the world for sugar whereas in warmer climates, such as Queensland, sugar production is based on sugar cane. Sugar content of sugar beet is about 25% higher than that found in sugar cane with production from sugar beet supplying about one third of world production. In most countries where sugar beet is grown it is considered a high value crop and with a crop length of about 5 - 6 months is used in rotation with other crops such as maize, cereals and potatoes. Improvements in sugar content of sugar beet has been greater than that in sugar cane in recent years and the development of more heat - tolerant varieties has seen a greater interest in growing sugar beet in areas currently growing sugar cane.
In 1993/4 CSR conducted trials in the Mackay/Burdekin areas of north Queensland to study the performance of a number of sugar beet varieties. The trials were conducted in areas where soil conditions were not really suitable for sugar cane due to salinity or sodicity problems. Results varied; pests and diseases were a problem in the humid, coastal climate and growing sugar beet required many more management skills compared to those for sugar cane. However when given suitable conditions sugar production from sugar beet was at least equal to that from high yielding sugar cane when compared on a tonnes of sugar produced per month (TSHM) basis. As well it was shown that sugar beet could be processed through a conventional sugar cane mill when mixed in with the cane at a ratio of 0.15 to 0.85. An added bonus was that it required less water to grow a tonne of sugar using sugar beet compared to sugar cane.
It was concluded that areas currently producing high yields of sugar cane would not grow sugar beet due to sugar beet not fitting into the current sugar cane rotation, sugar beet could not be grown continuously and the greater management skills required, however areas with a cooler climate, a farmer base with skills in row cropping and a sugar cane infrastructure should be investigated.
The Atherton Tablelands (about 70 kilometres inland from Cairns) was suggested as sugar cane was just starting to expand into this area at the time.
Since 1996 there has been a rapid expansion of sugar cane production on the Atherton Tableland and surrounding districts. This expansion saw the building of the first new sugar cane mill in Queensland for 73 years. Cane crushed in 1999 by the new mill totalled 480,000 tonnes which is estimated to increase to 800,000 tonnes by 2002. As well sugar cane grown on the Tableland is also being processed at South Johnstone mill about 100 kilometers to the southeast. The expansion onto the Tablelands has been due to declining yields and sugar content of sugar cane grown on the coast, several years of devastating storms and cyclones, population growth of the regional centres Cairns and Innisfail taking up cane land for residential use and the availability of land and irrigation water on the Tableland.
Given this situation the recommendation from the CSR trials was discussed and a project studying the potential of sugar beet on the Atherton Tableland was developed. The objectives of the project were to review the literature and compile a compendium of useful research information and to study the performance of a number of sugar beet varieties in terms of growth and sugar production. Using this information the economics of sugar beet production were to be assessed.
The literature review indicated the enormous amount of reference information available for sugar beet. Sugar beet is grown in many of the highly developed countries of Europe (UK, France, Germany and Holland), Japan, as well as a number of states in the USA (California, North Dakota and Michigan). As such highly developed research and development institutions are in place to support the sugar beet industries. A major focus of sugar beet research is variety development and a large number of varieties were available for selection and study in the project. Those trialed were from seed companies with varieties suitable for areas that had growing conditions most similar to those locally and so a number of varieties grown in California were tested. As well a couple had resistance to some of the local diseases and so these were also included.
Along with the variety evaluation another trial studied the effects of nitrogen, irrigation and population on sugar beet growth and sugar yield. Finally the economics of sugar beet production were examined using simple gross margin analysis to see if sugar beet could be a profitable enterprise within the farming framework of the Atherton Tableland.
Results from the variety evaluation showed firstly that sugar beet could be grown successfully in the local environment. The beets grew well and any problems encountered (such as pests and diseases) were controlled satisfactorily using available chemicals and management practices. Fresh root yields ranged from 50 - 60 tonnes/hectare, sugar content of the roots averaged 18.7 % and sugar yields were in the 9 - 11 tonnes/hectare range which are all comparable to results from commercial crops grown overseas. The best performing varieties were those specifically bred for use in hotter climates (California).
Studying the sugar content of sugar beets at different stages showed that sugar concentration did increase significantly over the later stages of growth and that an economic sugar yield could be expected over a reasonably long harvest period. This is an important consideration if an industry was to develop.
Irrigation applied showed sugar production of about 2 tonnes per megalitre of water applied which is less than that required locally for sugar from sugar cane (about 1.5 tonnes/megalitre). Irrigation water and supply has become an important consideration as the rapid growth of sugar cane has put the current system under stress. Infrastructure improvements in the irrigation scheme are underway with the possibility of another dam being built within the current irrigation scheme.
Results from the management trial indicated that recommendations made for sugar beet production overseas in terms of nitrogen rate to use, plant population to have and irrigation amounts required apply to crops grown locally. In these warmer climates however, canopy growth is more rapid and as such may mean crop length can be shortened compared to overseas.
The economic study showed that given the current very low sugar prices growing sugar beet on the Atherton Tableland is probably a doubtful economic proposition, a situation that applies to many sugar cane growers as well. However the long-term outlook for sugar price is positive and when this long - term average sugar price is used sugar beet becomes a commercially viable proposition.
The commercial potential of sugar beet is totally reliant on the infrastructure and support of the sugar cane industry. Processing the sugar beets is possible through a sugar cane mill and so their involvement is absolutely necessary for any progress. It is very unlikely that a stand alone sugar beet mill would be built locally, although if it were the beet pulp would be available which is a very valuable stock feed.
Also the development of any sugar beet industry would require the import of specialist harvesting equipment not available in Australia. It is envisaged that harvest would be under a contract system similar to that which operates for sugar cane.
The conclusions drawn from this research are that sugar beet can be an economic crop for local producers when the price for sugar gets back to more ‘normal’ levels. Sugar beet has a number of advantages as a new crop for local growers. It will ‘fit’ into current crop rotations, can be an excellent break crop for sugar cane and the processing and marketing of the final product - sugar - is well established.
For a sugar beet industry to develop the local sugar cane industry, specifically the sugar mill, would have be involved and that a major capital investment in harvesting equipment is required. Given these two factors are met current infrastructure in terms of the management skills of local producers, soil types, irrigation water and equipment and market are well established.
It is recommended that given the large number of new varieties being developed overseas each year, and a trend towards producing varieties more suited to warmer climates, an on-going variety assessment research program is considered. As well the next stage of actually processing sugar beets through a local mill should be studied.
On a broader scale other areas of Queensland located close to sugar cane producing areas should be considered for sugar beet. One such area is around Emerald in central Queensland where interest in rotational crops for the cotton industry is high. A small pilot study of sugar beet indicated high yields but low sugar content. It is felt that sugar content could be improved with changes to the nitrogen and irrigation inputs. Although too far away to transport sugar beets to the coastal sugar mills around Mackay for processing, discussions with growers indicated that some sort of initial processing of the sugar beets locally and then transport of the syrup for refinement may be a more practical way.
This would have the added advantage of the sugar beet pulp (an excellent stock feed) being available for sale to the local cattle feedlot industry and would offset some of the processing and transport costs.
Another area for consideration is the Dawson River valley closer to the Mackay sugar cane areas. This area has become a Queensland Government project initiative with the development of an irrigation scheme. Sugar beet has been included in the list of possible new crops for the region. A major limitation to sugar beet production in other areas of Australia is the lack of sugar cane infrastructure and hence processing facilities. Development outside current sugar cane production areas would require large capital inputs for processing facilities, harvesting equipment and marketing infrastructure.
The other potential for sugar
beet of course is its use to produce ethanol fuel, an area that received
substantial consideration in Australia during the oil crisis of the early
1970’s. Given the current and projected increases in fuel prices it is
a crop that may yet again be considered for commercial production. It has
been estimated that 1 hectare of sugar beet would produce about 4,500 litres
of ethanol. The Federal Government has recently announced that $2 million
will be made available to develop ethanol technology. The results from
this project and those from the CSR studies will provide useful and important
information toward the development of this technology.
 
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