Beetroot farming in Kenya has become more popular recently. It is very easy to grow, requires little attention, and the season is long. It has a rich earthy flavour and vibrant colour and is delicious either in salads, or as a cooked vegetable.

Beetroot farming in kenya

Beetroot is relatively straight forwards to grow and accordingly it is very popular, with a unique flavor and color to add to salads and juice.

Beetroot is biennial which is grown like an annual vegetable which should be grown in damp areas. Once the beetroot is ready, harvest by lifting the leaves then cut them off, and store on a damp newspaper. The beetroot should then keep for 2 to 3 months. It has a wide variety of uses in the kitchen which means that you are unlikely to waste any of it. It can be used in soups, salads and chutneys and also juice, it is also good served as a hot vegetable, and the high sugar content means that it can be used as a good base for home made wine.

Beetroot juice is extracted from raw beetroot and is rich in potassium, magnesium and vitamin c, it is a known fact that drinking beetroot juice helps in lowering blood pressure, as much as beetroot has its health benefits it also has some side effects let’s look at the health benefits -it rich in antioxidants and nitrates which helps in lowering high blood pressure and also improves blood circulation -increases muscle strength -it destroys free radicals in the body, preventing cell damage -very beneficial to people who are anemic.

The benefits are quite a number but some people might react to it (suffer side effects) the best way to take beetroot juice and reduce the possibility of side effects is to dilute it with water or vegetables or other fruit juice. Beetroot juice has very strong and earthy flavor, it is best consumed by mixing with other vegetables and fruit juices.

Origin and distribution of beetroot

The beetroot is indigenous to Asia Minor and Europe. They were first used for food about the third century AD although they had been grown for thousands of years for medicinal purposes. Beetroot has been regarded as a laxative, a cure for bad breath, coughs and headaches, and even as an aphrodisiac. It is grown widely in Germany and France and in lesser amounts in other European  countries, Africa, Asia, and South America. Beetroot is now a popular salad vegetable

Overview on Beetroot Farming in Kenya

Beetroot is the taproot part of a Beet plant, which is among one of the several cultivated varieties
of Beta Vulgaris. It has medicinal value especially for cardiac and cancer treatment. It is also a
potential antioxidant and blood cell count booster. Other uses include; source of nutrients, sugars
and as a livestock feed. Beetroot is not a popular vegetable among most Kenyans, but is
occasionally used as a blend in juices and salads.

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Beetroots can be used either alone, mixed to make a vegetable salad, cold as a condiment or warm
incorporating butter as a delicacy. They can be consumed raw, boiled or roasted. For salads,
beetroot bulbs are peeled and shredded raw then mixed with other vegetables or eaten alone

Beetroot Varieties in Kenya

There are noticeable differences that exist in the various types of beetroots. These can be summarized in terms of the following ; time of cropping (early, mid or late), texture and taste, colour, shape, and resistance to diseases and growing conditions

Some of the earliest maturing bulbs types include Detroit Dark Red which matures in 58 days and grows to 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter. This type is grown for its leaves and roots consumption, in a wide range of soil and temperature conditions.

Other variants include Early Wonder and Crimson King that mature in 52 days.

Sweetheart, Sangria and Ruby Queen matures in 58 days, 56 days and in 60 days, respectively.

Lastly, Lutz Green Leaf matures in 70 days. It is purplish-red with green tasty tops.

Special Beetroot Varieties In Kenya

There are special beetroot types that are grown for a variety of reasons. Cylindria matures in 60
days and is grown for its long, cylindrical shape, which is good as it results in equal slice size.

Touchstone Gold is a new variety with small yellow roots that retain their colour once cooked.
Green Top Bunching matures after 65 days and has bright red roots with superior tops for greens.
Golden matures after 55 days and are carrot-coloured but taste the same as red beetroot and the
leaves for this type are sweet.

Di Chioggia matures in 50 days and is an Italian heirloom known for its striped red and white interior, sweet, mild taste and early maturation.

Climatic requirements growing beetroot

Beetroot is a cool-weather crop that is hardy and tolerates some freezing. Excessively hot weather causes the appearance of alternating light and dark red concentric circles in the root known as zoning.

On the other hand, very cold weather results in slow or no growth of the plant. Prolonged periods of low temperatures can induce bolting. Beetroot seeds germinate at soil  temperatures from 4,5 to 30 °C, with the optimum being 18 to 24 °C.

Beetroot needs a lot of water for fast growth.

Soil requirements

Beetroot does best on deep and well-drained, loose, loamy to sandy soils. Heavy clay soils or soils which crust after rain or irrigation may cause establishment problems and the production of misshapen roots. Beetroot prefers a soil pH of 5.8 to 7.0, but can tolerate a pH of up to 7,6. Acid soils are likely to create nutrient deficiency problems and should be avoided or limed to raise the pH. Mature beets are fairly tolerant to salinity, whereas seedlings are relatively sensitive.

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Planting Beetroot In Kenya

Beetroot takes 50-70 days to mature and it can be planted during any period of the year as long as there is plenty of water to irrigate the plant. Additionally, harvesting of beetroot starts when it attains a diameter of ten (10) cm, this is after a period of three months.

Beetroots can be planted any time of the year as long as they are watered regularly. The seeds are planted about 5cm (2in) apart in rows, leaving about 25cm (10in) between rows. The seeds should be approximately 2cm (¾in) deep and watered regularly. The bed can be applied with manure or fertilizers to increase the growth and yield of the beetroot bulbs.

Germination is expected within a week or two after planting, after which a fungicide should be sprayed to prevent pests from attacking the plant and moulding of the seedling. Harvesting begins in three months after planting to get medium sized bulbs, but if large bulbs are required, the harvesting should be done on the fourth month.

Fertilisation

A continuous supply of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium is essential throughout the season to obtain high yields and good quality. Nitrogen fertilizing is important and 300 to 400 kg/ha of limestone, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulphate, depending on soil analysis, are applied in 2 or 3 dressings during the growing season.

About 150 kg/ha of nitrogen is usually applied at planting time and the rest when the plants are about 10 to 15 cm high. A total of 500 to 600 kg/ha of superphosphate and 200 to 300 kg/ha of potassium chloride are applied just before sowing. Alternatively, a fertiliser mixture of 2:3:2 (22) at 1000 to 1200 kg/ha may be applied. It should be noted that these are general recommendations and actual amounts of fertilizers should be based on soil analysis.

Irrigation

The soil should never be allowed to become dry and it should be kept moist to a depth of 20 to 25 cm. The plantings should receive light water applications daily until the young seedlings come up. About 30 mm of water should be supplied per irrigation. Large fluctuations in soil moisture content will result in poor quality roots that are malformed and have many small hairs or side roots.

Weed control

Weeds must be controlled before they can compete with beet seedlings and interfere with their growth. All weeds between the rows must be removed by hand to avoid damaging the roots. Weed control can also be achieved chemically by applying herbicides and instructions on the container should be thoroughly followed.

Harvesting and Storing Beetroot

Harvesting generally starts when the globes are about 5cm (2in) in diameter, about golf-ball size. If you want larger globes, thin the rows as they grow to give the remaining ones more space. We tend to pick ours on the smaller side as they are more tender. This is one of the joys of home grown vegetables, you can pick them when they taste their best rather than achieving their maximum weight or size for selling in shops.

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Pests, Diseases and Problems affecting beetroot farmers in Kenya

Beetroot is one of those wonderful crops that tends to be relatively trouble free. Birds may have a go at the seedlings, in which case you can cover them with horticultural fleece until they are larger and less appealing to our feathered friends.

  1. Bolting may be a problem. This is where the plant flowers before the roots have formed.
    This can occur in dry conditions, or if thinning has been left too late. If you have trouble
    with bolting, then try growing a bolt resistant variety such as Bolthardy.
  2. Aphids may attack the leaves causing them to curl over. We find squashing them between
    your fingers the most effective way of getting rid of them, particularly if there are not too
    many. Otherwise, you can spray the leaves with horticultural soap, or a weak solution of
    washing up liquid such as Ecover.
  3. Fungal Leaf Spot sometimes affects beetroot. This appears as round brown spots on the
    leaves. The middle of the spots sometimes fall out to leave holes. This is not usually very
    serious. Just remove any badly affected leaves, and remove all fallen leaves at the end of
    the season to reduce the number of overwintering fungal spores.

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