Fodder beet
| Fodder beet | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | Beetroot |
|
|
| Art |
Beta vulgaris Subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris |
| group | Crassa group |
| origin | Rhineland |
| known since | circa 1750 |
The fodder beet ( Beta vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris , Crassa group ) is an agricultural crop and belongs to the foxtail family (Amaranthaceae).
Synonyms
It is also known under the following names: Runkelrübe, Runkel , Rummel , Raahner , Rangasn (Bavaria, Austria), Rüben- Mangold , Vieh-Mangold , Burgunder-Rübe , Dickrübe , Saurüben (West and Southwest Germany), Dickwurz ( Central Hesse), Dickwurzel (northern Hesse), Kiel , Gunkel , Dorschen , Pfoschen (around Nuremberg), Turnips , Durnibe, Durnitze or Durlips , Durlibse, Dürlibs, Dirlibs, Durlisriebe (southern Baden, neighboring Württemberg, northwestern Switzerland ), Angerse , Angersch, Angersche, Angerisch (da and there in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria),
Emergence
The fodder beet was produced by selection from the common beet ( Beta vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris ). The sugar content was determined by the chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf in 1747 in Germany. Up until the 18th century there was no distinction between food and fodder beet. It was not until around 1750 that special yellow-fleshed varieties that were easy to store over the winter were known from the Rhineland as fodder beet or beetroot.
biology
The fodder beet is a biennial herbaceous plant , so it forms an inflorescence and seeds in the second year .
In the first year, in the vegetative stage of development, it develops a leaf rosette above ground with about 20 broad, up to 30 cm long leaves and the root thickens into a white, yellow or orange-red beet body. Depending on the variety, the beets vary in shape to be rolled, olive, spherical or, similar to sugar beet , pole-like in shape. The fodder beet is a taproot, its roots can reach up to one and a half meters deep into the ground.
The harvest takes place in the first year, as reserve materials are stored during this period and the sugar content, which determines the economic benefit, is highest. In contrast to sugar beet, the aim of breeding fodder beet is not the highest possible sucrose content , but rather high protein and mineral content. In the following year there would be no yield at all.
In the second year, the generative phase, a 1.5 m high branched inflorescence emerges with inconspicuous, five-fold flowers . When the inflorescence is formed, all of the beet's reserve materials are used up and the plant dies when the seeds are mature. The fodder beet is a cross- pollinator .
In agriculture, fodder beet varieties are divided into so-called bulk beets with 8 to 13% dry matter and 4% sucrose, medium beets with 13 to 16% dry matter and 7% sucrose, and solid beets with 16 to 19% dry matter and 10% sucrose.
Cultivation
The fodder beet is a root crop . In contrast to sugar beet, no special tools are required for harvesting. Since the beet grows largely above ground, it can be pulled out by hand. Fodder beet harvesters are available for mechanical harvesting. In terms of construction, these deviate considerably from the sugar beet harvesters , as the beet loosened by a lifting share is gripped by the leaves by a rubber band running over an inclined pulling wheel and pulled out of the ground. Only then are the beet and leaves separated from each other. Harvesting fodder beets with sugar beet harvesters is only possible for pile-shaped beets that are deep in the ground.
Fodder beet cultivation is advantageous in terms of crop rotation . Compared to sugar beet, the demands on the depth of the soil are lower. For bulk beets, yields of around 100 t and for salary beets of around 70 to 80 t can be achieved per hectare. When growing, beets should be preferred, as they can be used to produce a greater amount of nutrients on the same arable land. Fodder beets do not tolerate frost.
use
The fodder beet is mainly used as fodder for cattle and sheep. The harvest is kept in winter storage ( rent ). The optimal storage temperature is 2 to 4 ° C. So that the beets in the pile do not warm up too easily, they should not be stacked higher than 1.25 meters and after only lightly covering the pile during the cooling phase, they should only be finally covered for winter after being well cooled. It can be advantageous to cover the beets directly with earth ( earth pile ). The beet leaves and the "beet heads" of the fodder can also be used for feeding. Fodder beet is a "juice feed" that cattle like to eat. Because of the high water content, demineralization of the animals can easily occur. To avoid this, feed lime should be given. The fodder beet is a valuable dietary feed that has a positive effect on digestion and metabolism.
In addition to using fodder beet as animal feed, it is also worth using it for energy in biogas plants .
The fodder beet can also be used for human nutrition, for example in the form of a soup that is cooked from bacon, onions and pieces of beet. The leaves are similar to those of leaf Swiss chard and can be used as leafy vegetables like Swiss chard or like spinach (only the heart leaves ).
In the northern Emsland and East Frisia , the juice of the beetroot is used as a home remedy for coughs and sore throats. For this purpose, the head of the raw beet is cut off. Then the beet body is hollowed out in the core, depending on the beet strength. The cavity, about 2–4 cm in diameter, is then filled with brown rock candy and the head is then put on as a lid. The rock candy now draws the liquid out of the beet. The beet juice obtained in this way can be poured off for the first time after about 12-14 hours. A shot glass of the juice should be taken 3-4 times a day. A beet gives juice for several days, with candy must be added.
This home remedy for coughs is also known in Central Hesse .
The beets can also be used to make lanterns, which are used, for example, in the custom of the beet spirit in autumn . The lanterns in the Eifel and parts of Luxembourg that have been explicitly made from fodder beet to this day are known as the day light ; in the Hessian hinterland they are called "Dickwurzmänner", in the Westerwald "Gluinische (glowing) men".
literature
- Horst Eichhorn (Ed.): Landtechnik. 7th edition, Ulmer, Stuttgart 1952, 1999, ISBN 3-8001-1086-5 , chapter 6.6.
- Klaus-Ulrich Heyland (Ed.): Special crop production. 7th edition, Ulmer, Stuttgart 1952, 1996, ISBN 3-8001-1080-6 , chapter 8.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Scientific names of Beta vulgaris in MMPND.
- ↑ Erich Strassner: Contributions to the East Franconian word geography: The ladybird, the beetle, the liquid manure. In: Zeitschrift für Mundartforschung 30 (1964), pp. 193-226.
- ↑ Baden Dictionary , Volume I, page 613, article Turnips; Schweizerisches Idiotikon , Volume XIII, Column 1594 ff., Article Turlips ( digitized version ); Swabian Dictionary , Volume II, Column 505, Article Turnips .
- ↑ Baden dictionary, Volume I, page 50, article Angerse; Bavarian Dictionary , Volume I, Column 423 (reference to outstanding articles under R ); Swabian Dictionary, Volume I, Column 208, Article Angerse .