The present invention relates to a mobile system for harvesting and/or transporting and/or loading sugar beets, comprising an optical imaging system (70) configured to determine at least a useful portion of the sugar beets suitable for sugar production and/or to determine at least a residual portion of the sugar beets not suitable for sugar production. The invention further relates to a sugar production system with such a mobile device (51, 52, 53) and with a sugar production system which is set up to set at least one process parameter depending on the useful portion and/or residual portion determined with the optical image capture system (70). The invention further relates to a method for sugar production, wherein sugar beets are harvested and/or transported and/or loaded using a mobile system (51, 52, 53), wherein with an optical image capture system (70) of the mobile system (51, 52, 53) at least one useful portion that is suitable for sugar production and/or at least one residual portion of the sugar beet that is not suitable for sugar production is determined, wherein at least one process parameter is set in a sugar production plant depending on the useful portion and/or the residual portion determined with the optical image capture system.

Improved processes for extracting water soluble nutrients including sugars from plants and in particular sugar cane. The plants may be washed with a wash solution. After washing, water soluble nutrient containing liquid is extracted from the plants. A diluted wash solution may be added to the crushed plants to improve the extraction of the water soluble nutrients. The wash solution may be added to the liquid collected during the extraction to improve the separation of impurities from the nutrient containing liquid. The extracted liquid may demonstrate at least one of improved purity, improved clarity, improved filtration times, improved whiteness, and improved total recovered water soluble nutrients.

A method for cultivation and processing of sugar beets the includes steps of: providing the sugar beets and/or sugar beet seedlings in a first step; supplying the sugar beets and/or the sugar beet seedlings with a nutrient solution during growth in a second step; harvesting at least partially fully grown sugar beets in a third step; processing the harvested sugar beets in a sugar production plant in order to extract sugar from the sugar beets in a fourth step; the nutrient solution used in the second step is at least partially obtained by recovering water in the fourth step which is recycled in the second step.

A method for cultivation and processing of sugar beets the includes steps of: providing the sugar beets and/or sugar beet seedlings in a first step; supplying the sugar beets and/or the sugar beet seedlings with a nutrient solution during growth in a second step; harvesting at least partially fully grown sugar beets in a third step; processing the harvested sugar beets in a sugar production plant in order to extract sugar from the sugar beets in a fourth step; the nutrient solution used in the second step is at least partially obtained by recovering water in the fourth step which is recycled in the second step.

Methods are described for producing sugar from sugar-containing plant material with microbiological control, which includes treating a sugar-containing plant raw material and/or a component derived therefrom, and/or a medium containing the plant raw material and/or the component, with monochloramine. Monochloramine usage in the method can reduce loss of sugar from bacterial consumptions in the processing of sugar-containing plant materials, such as sugar beets, without causing adverse effects on the sugar product, such as the brightness of white sugar.

Methods are described for producing sugar from sugar-containing plant material with microbiological control, which includes treating a sugar-containing plant raw material and/or a component derived therefrom, and/or a medium containing the plant raw material and/or the component, with monochloramine. Monochloramine usage in the method can reduce loss of sugar from bacterial consumptions in the processing of sugar-containing plant materials, such as sugar beets, without causing adverse effects on the sugar product, such as the brightness of white sugar.