An Integrated Approach to Cultivar Evaluation and Selection for Improving Sugar Beet Profitability

Sugar beets in the United States are produced in 12 states within four diverse geographic regions. The greatest volume of production occurs in the Upper Midwest and includes Minnesota and North Dakota. This area produced 48% of the crop on 300,000 ha (758,000 acres) in 2000. The second largest production area is the Far West and includes California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. This region produced 22% of the crop on 138,000 ha (354,000 acres). The Great Plains region, consisting of Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, and Wyoming, produced 18% of the crop on 108,000 ha (271,000 acres). Finally, the Great Lakes region, including Michigan and Ohio, produced 12% of the sugar beet crop on 76,000 ha (190,000 acres). Nebraska leads production in the Great Plains region with 31,200 ha (78,000 acres) planted in 2000 (32). The majority of the production is in the western part of the state, known as the Panhandle