Taking Nitrogen Credit for Unharvested Sugarbeets

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Rows of sugar beet in field. Rural scene. Crop and farming.

Alan Blaylock, Ph.D.

Fall of 2019 was a challenging season to say the least. In the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota, many acres of sugarbeets were left unharvested because of wet fall conditions. Some are now asking if there is a fertilizer value to the crop left in the field. While the tops have some nitrogen value, there is little nitrogen to be taken from roots remaining in the field. A small amount of additional nitrogen may, in fact, be needed to aid decomposition of the remaining roots. Growers can take a 2-foot soil sample to test for nitrate available in the spring. University of Minnesota has published some guidelines on this topic.

You can read more about it on the University of Minnesota Extension page.