MESA K-12 Schools Program. UC Davis/Sacramento State MESA Center Thanks You! As another year closes for the Sacramento Area Center, we would like to thank our teachers, UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, and most importantly our students. Many congratulations on another successful year.
Sugar beets are a root crop, and flourish in temperate climates where the growing season is about five months long. A mature sugar beet is about one foot long, weighs two to five pounds, and contains about 18% sucrose, which is concentrated in its taproot.
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% sugar, and 5% pulp (the exact sugar contents can vary between 12 and 21% sugar, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions). Sugar is the primary value of sugar beet as a cash crop.