Editing Sugar beet (section)

== Description ==
The sugar beet has a conical, white, fleshy root (a [[taproot]]) with a flat crown. The plant consists of the root and a rosette of leaves. Sugar is formed by [[photosynthesis]] in the leaves and is then stored in the root.

The root of the beet contains 75% water, about 20%<ref name="Dohm-et-al-2013" /> sugar, and 5% [[Beet pulp|pulp]].<ref name=respons/> The exact sugar content can vary between 12% and 21%, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions. Sugar is the primary value of sugar beet as a [[cash crop]]. The pulp, [[Solubility|insoluble]] in water and mainly composed of [[cellulose]], hemicellulose, [[lignin]], and [[pectin]], is used in animal feed. The byproducts of the sugar beet crop, such as pulp and [[molasses]], add another 10% to the value of the harvest.<ref name=agrisugar1/>

Sugar beets grow exclusively in the [[Temperate climate|temperate]] zone, in contrast to [[sugarcane]], which grows exclusively in the tropical and subtropical zones. The average weight of a sugar beet ranges between {{convert|0.5|and|1|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. Sugar beet foliage has a rich, brilliant green color and grows to a height of about {{convert|35|cm|inch|abbr=on}}. The leaves are numerous and broad and grow in a tuft from the crown of the beet, which is usually level with or just above the ground surface.<ref name=gr1/>