Baoqing Beetroot

Baoqing Beetroot

　　Beetroot (Beta vulgaris), of the Amaranthaceae family, is divided into wild and cultivated varieties.

The cultivated varieties include four variants: sugar beet, leaf beet, root beet, and fodder beet.

Sugar beet, used as a raw material for sugar production, is a biennial crop. Its roots are used as raw materials in the sugar industry and also as animal feed. It is one of China’s main sugar crops. In the first year of growth, it mainly undergoes vegetative growth, accumulating rich nutrients in its enlarged root. In the second year, it focuses on reproductive growth, producing flower stalks that, after cross-pollination, form seeds.

Sugar beet originated along the Mediterranean coast, where its wild ancestor, the coastal beet, is found. It was introduced to China from Arab countries around 1,500 years ago. In China, leaf beet has a long history of cultivation, while sugar beet was only introduced in 1906. The main beet-producing regions in China are the Northeast, Northwest, and North China.