Bolting sugar beet
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Bolting sugar beet by Jonathan Thacker as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
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Image: © Jonathan Thacker Taken: 1 Aug 2014
Sugar beet is generally bred so that it doesn't bolt. In its first year it produces the root which is harvested for its sugar content. Some beet is retained for a second year in which it will flower (bolt) and produce seed. Sometimes however it will bolt in its first year, usually due to unusual weather conditions. The recent sustained above average temperatures might be sufficient to induce bolting but it would only be seen in a few plants and not a whole field like this. I therefore conclude that this field is being grown for seed. Otherwise there will be a very unhappy farmer who will see the sugar yield from his crop dramatically reduced as a result of the plants putting all their energy into producing seed rather than sugar laden roots..
Image Location
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