The growth and development of the storage root of sugar beet

A study was made of the growth of the storage root of sugar beet as a sugar accumulating organ. The storage root grew by simultaneous cell multiplication and expansion from a series of peripheral secondary meristems laid down during the early stages of development. The weight of water and of non-sugar dry matter per cell increased in proportion to the increase in cell volume. The amount of sugar per cell was proportional to cell volume only during the initial stage of cell expansion up to volumes of about 15 times 10^-8 cm³; thereafter it was less proportional. Thus, average cell size is a major determinant of the sugar concentration of the storage root. The implications of this are discussed.