THE NONSUGAR AND ION BALANCES OF THICK JU ICE AS BASES FOR A QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF SUGAR-BEETS .2.

The cornerstone of the new quality concept, referred to as the nonsuga r value m(NZW), is an estimate of the nonsugar in thick m(NZ.DiS) from individual permanent nonsugar components of the beets: m(NZW) = 0.92 . w'K + 0,75 . w'Na + 0,84 . w'alphaN + 2,8 g/kg beets or, where betai ne and raffinose values are available: m(NZW) = 0,92 . w'K + 0,75 . w' Na + 0,84 . w'alphaN + 1,15 . w'Be + 4,95 . w'Ra g/kg beets or, where the value of the total nitrogen soluble in the aluminium sulfate diger ate w'N.Dig, as a measure of the ''harmful nitrogen'', is available: m (NZW) = 0,92 . W'K + 0.75 . w'Na + 1,23 + w'N.Dig - 1.02 .w'alphaN + 4 .95 . w'Ru g/kg beets In the case of insufficient beet alkalinity rese rves (i.e. when w'1B < 0). the alkalinity correction term w'AK = - 1.1 5 - w'1B must be added to the nonsugar value m(NZW) because of the add ition of alkalizing to the thin juice required in these circumstances, in order to account for the additional nonsugar in the thick juice re sulting from the sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide applications. Th e nonsugar concept can be translated into the usual quality assessment based on the corrected sugar content by means of the conversion facto r f(NZ) = 1.2 from m(NZW) to m(NZ.DiS), and assuming a constant sugar/ nonsugar ratio in the molasses of f(M) = 1.4 (equivalent to q(M) = 58% ): m(BZ) = w(Z) - m(V) - (0.92 . w'g + 0,75 . w'Na + 0,84 . w'alphaN 2,8) .0,168 % on beets or, in the case of insufficient beet alkalinit y reserves: m(BZ) = w(Z) - m(V) - (0,92 . w'K + 0,75 . w'Na + 0,84 . w 'alphaN - 1,15 . w'1B + 2.8) . 0.168 % on beets In contrast to regress ion coefficients, the coefficients of the equations for the ion balanc e and the nonsugar value can be interpreted technologically and genera lized, since they are derived from the behaviour of the corresponding nonsugar substances during sugar manufacturing. The nonsugar value has been applied to various tests with sugar beets and is compared with s ome current assessment criteria of beet quality.