Table 6 Historical time line highlighting evidence of beet utilization
Date | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|
before 8500 BCE | a,b | B. vulgaris spp maritima gathered as potherbB. vulgaris spp maritima gathered as potherb |
8500 BCE | a,b | The domestication of leaf beet in eastern Turkey |
3500 BCE | a | Leaf and root types present in Egypt |
1200 BCE | a | Leaf beet present in Syria |
1000 BCE | a | Leaf beet present in Greece |
600 BCE | a | Leaf beet present in China |
460 BCE | a | Black beet mentioned (perhaps a reference to table beet) |
250 BCE | a,b | Table beet cultivation spreads |
50 BCE | a,b | Beta cultivation spreads in Roman EmpireBeta cultivation spreads in Roman Empire |
1,000 – 1300 CE | a,b | Beet described as a garden vegetable, with many types. |
1500 CE | a,b | Fodder beet spreads across Europe |
1747 CE | a,b | Margraff demonstrates sucrose can be extracted from beet |
1800 CE | a,b | Achard identifies fodder lineages with potential use as a sugar crop |
1816–1850 CE | a,b | Vilmorin develops progeny selection to increase sugar content using differences in specific gravity |