Grow beetroot and earn more money

Beetroot is a very easy to grow root vegetable that suffers from minimum pests and diseases infection.
The trick to growing the best beetroot is a nice loose, fertile soil with plenty of well-rotted organic matter.
Agriculture experts working at Starke Ayres Seed Company are encouraging farmers across the country to grow beetroot due to its health benefit William Kimeto, the marketing and product developer at the seed company explains that they have sensitised farmers in the districts of Kabale and Bulambuli in Eastern Uganda to grow the plant.
Beetroot are packaged in 50 grammes costing Shs80,000. Kimeto emphasised the importance of farmers growing beetroot on commercial basis. Below are the excerpts about the best agronomy practice.

Where and when to grow the plant
• The ideal soil is medium to light which hasn’t been recently been fertilised with manure, this can cause distorted roots.
• The soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline (PH 6.5 to 7.5) although it is tolerant to most normal conditions.
• Sow beetroot seed from March to July or at any month of the year provided the soil is moist.
• Use a hoe to form a drill in the prepared bed about 2 cm deep. Sow the beet root seeds 10 cm apart in the drill and less thinning out required.
• Space rows 30 cm apart. Beetroot seeds are actually clusters of seeds which will produce three or four separate seedlings.
• Thin the new seedlings to leave the strongest otherwise the beets will be crowded and remain small.
• Prevent flooding when planting beetroot by sowing your seed in stages, a small batch at a time every couple of weeks.
• Water the plant daily until the leaves begin to sprout. At the beginning, your seeds need plenty of water to start the germination process. The roots will take moisture from the soil once they’re established.

Recommended varieties
Detroit Dark Red which is the traditional sturdy red variety, round in shape.
The other is the Forman ova – Long cylindrical beets that grow in the same fashion as carrots and are excellent for canning.

Seed preparation
• Farmers can plant seeds directly or establish it in nursery for transplanting. This takes between 25 – 30 days for formation of seedlings.
• Beetroot is one of the few root crops that can be grown from transplants providing the seedlings are planted out before they become confined.
• Modular trays are recommended with plants remaining in the cells for a maximum of three weeks.
• In transplanting farmers are advised to sow one seed cluster per module and thin to leave the strongest seedling soon after germination.
• Dont pull up the plants you are removing or this will cause root damage to the remaining one.
• Nip the stem with your finger nail or cut with scissors. If you have directly sown into the ground you should thin your line of seedlings to 25cm between rows and 10cm between plants.

Crop care
It is a good idea to keep the area around your plants weed free. Weeds compete with your plants for water, nutrients and light. Fungal disease can be a problem for some crops and weeds can contribute to this by cutting down the air circulation around your plants. Plants with good, clear space between them will be much healthier than congested crops.
Constant irrigation is ideal for good yield because the soil needs to be kept moist. This will encourage them to grow quickly and the roots will be more tender and tasty.

Pests and diseases
This vegetable is usually remarkably free from pests and diseases but there are a few that you should be on the lookout for. The most notorious pest is the bird which may be destructive at the seedling stage. Others are leaf miners which is a small white grub which burrows inside the leaves creating tunnels which turn into blisters. Farmers are advised to control leaf miner by removing the affected leaves at first sign of attack and destroy them. Aphids are another pest which causes leaves to curl and the new shoots to become distorted possibly resulting in less root yield. Try containing aphid attacks by encouraging other insects such as hoverflies and ladybirds which feed on them.

Harvesting and storage
The sweetest beets are no bigger than a tennis ball and can be pulled easily when they have reached the required size. Larger beets can be grown if required but ensure they are always kept well-watered or they can become tough and woody. Days to maturity tend to be between 50 and 90 for most varieties, although they can be harvested at any time you see fit. Store the beetroot in boxes containing moist sand in a cool dark place.