Sugar

"Agricultural research" focuses in particular on the regulation of calamities (the occurrence of animal pests) or epidemics caused i.e. by fungal pathogens. This includes the development of comprehensive monitoring systems, the definition of damage-related thresholds as well as the implementation of warning service models based on these and the development of alternative possibilities of protecting sugar beet.

Due to restrictions in terms of herbicide availability, the importance of research on weed regulation is growing due to the extreme sensitivity of this field crop during its youth development. The use and further development of soil testing based on the ElectroUltra-Filtration (EUF) method – since 2000 alone, around 200,000 soil samples, corresponding to an advised of about 3,000,000 hectares have been tested – are  critical to the need for environmentally sensitive crop nutrition and the characterisation of location-related soil fertility.

This work is accompanied by investigations on the influence of soil cultivation processes and the use of catch crops, not least due to the need to improve the water use efficiency of sugar beet. The research programme is rounded off by ongoing efforts to optimise catch crop seed mixtures for sowing in fall before sugar beet.

In cooperation with the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd. (AGES, Vienna), a comprehensive system for variety testing is established in sugar beet. Stable and acceptable crop yields are key to maintaining the competitiveness of sugar beet growing in a region which is characterised by the hot and dry Pannonian climate. High sugar contents are a precondition for the efficient use of resources, particularly energy, in the processing of sugar beet. Testing for high levels of resistance against pests as well as fungal and viral pathogens and for high water use efficiency are further main targets. AGRANA is firmly committed to GMO-free growing methods.

The technological quality of sugar beet relates to the sugar (sucrose) contained in the beet, which can be obtained in crystalline form during the industrial sugar production process. 

The key is ensuring that the most important beet constituents can be determined as easily and automatically as possible in the beet laboratory. These are:
•    Potassium
•    Sodium
•    Alpha-amino nitrogen

Numerous so-called quality formulae exist which are important when selecting beet varieties and as the basis for quality-related bonus payments. 

At AGRANA, the formula applied currently to determine the technological quality of sugar beet is the so-called New Brunswick Formula (Buchholz et al., 1995).
 

Beta Pura GmbH is a joint venture between AGRANA GmbH and The Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC, the second largest US beet sugar producer. The betaine crystallisation plant in Tulln is the world’s third production site at which liquid betaine is extracted chromatographically from sugar beet molasses and then crystallised.

The valuable crystalline betaine is multifunctional and is used not only in feed for livestock but also in nutritional supplements such as sports drinks. Due to its osmoregulatory properties at a cellular level, betaine is also used in cosmetic products.

In order to maintain the high-quality standards of Beta Pura, the departments at ARIC work in an interdisciplinary manner on the areas of quality control, product development and optimising betaine yields, from the field to the final crystallization process.

The range of sugar products sold to industrial customers and consumers under the Wiener Zucker brand is both diverse and premium in terms of quality. This extends from normal granulated sugar (normal and fine crystal sugar) to  sugar cubes as well as icing sugar and powdered sugar.

Sustainability is a priority issue, which is why we have established a range of organic sugar products that is being constantly extended.

Specialities such as caster sugar, syrup sugar or sugar crystals round off the product range.

At ARIC, new products are developed, stability tests performed and our product range regularly adjusted or extended to fulfil customer demands.

During the sugar production process, other important products are being produced besides sugar; products which are used in animal feed.

After washing the sugar beet, the sugar (sucrose) is extracted from so called sugar beet cossettes (sliced sugar beet), which are immersed in hot water in the extraction area. Once the majority of the sugar has been extracted, the resulting exhausted cossettes are pressed to give pressed pulp which is then dried and pelleted in a multi-phase process.

The extracted sugar is then subjected to a juice purification process relying on its treatment with lime and carbonic acid in order to remove non-sugars. This is followed by a thickening process of the purified thin juice which takes place in the evaporator station and ultimately several sugar crystallisation steps. Besides crystalline sugar, this results in molasses which can be used in animal feedstuffs. The dried  sugar beet pulp can also be mixed with molasses and pelleted.Animal feedstuffs produced during the sugar production  process:

• Unmolassed sugar beet pulp pellets
• Molassed sugar beet pulp pellets
• Molasses

Besides sugar, pressed and dried sugar beet pulp (both highly valued animal feeds) as well as molasses, the processing of sugar beet also results in products which can be sold as fertilisers. The launch of these fertilisers on the market was scientifically accompanied by numerous field trials.

So-called non-sugars extracted from sugar beet pulp are separated by adding lime milk and subsequently precipitating this out by aerating with carbon dioxide. Resulting “Carbonatation lime” is valued as a highly effective liming fertiliser due to its extremely fine composition. This fertilizer also contains all of the phosphorous found in the sugar beet at the refinery as well as much of the nitrogen taken up by the sugar beet from the soil. Nitrogen – organically bound -  and phosphorous consequently find their way back to the field.

The further desugarisation of molasses by means of a physical process results in an organic fertiliser known as DüngeMel , which is rich in potassium and organically bound nitrogen compounds. 

Sugar-rich materials represent ideal substrates for various microorganisms. Sucrose and molasses for example, can be used to propagate and multiply yeasts, bacteria and filamentous fungi. This involves scaling up the fermentation processes starting from experiments in shaking flaks up to a 300-litre bioreactor.

Afterwards, the resulting biomass and metabolic products can be further processed to produce for example organic pesticides, fertilisers or proteins.