The nonsugar and ion balances of thick juice os bases for a quality assessment of sugar beets: Part 1

Following an introductory review of the molasses formulas currently used to assess the quality of sugar beets, various ideas to expand or change the Basis of the present quality assessment are discussed. A practical concept for the quality assessment of sugar beets is presented, which rests on predictions of the alkalinity reserves (Part 1) and the nonsugar in the thick juice (Part 2) from beet analyses. The estimale of the alkalinity reserves of the beets is based on a shortened ion balance w’m of the thick juice: w’m = 0.92 o w’K*Na – (0.57 o w’casi + 1.9 o w’1,+ 2.9) mmo1/100 g beets. An annotated survey of the evolution of the ion balances of the beet varieties released in Germany since 1972 illustrates the application of this alkalinity formula.