Two areas of 500 m2 in each of 3 sugar beet farms, that were different according to plant covers were selected. In one area, sugar beet tops and crowns (SBTC) before harvesting (method 1) but in another one SBTC were cut after harvesting of tuber (method 2).Costs and quality of obtained SBTC compared. The SBTC collected in method 1, had better quality than that of the method 2 but because of more labor used for method 1, it was more costly when compared with method 2. In a completely randomized block experiment, with 2 treatments (2 methods of SBTC collectives) and 4 replications the SBTC was ensiled with addition of 10%molasses and 2% urea to study its silage characteristics. In the last stage, digestibilities of silages obtained from each harvesting methods were compared. Result showed that SBTC silage collected by method 1 had better quality with higher organic matter and crud protein but lower pH (P < 0.05).The protein fractions including true protein and non protein nitrogen were significantly (P < 0.05) different between the treatments. Silages from method one, had higher quality compared with silages from method 2 and hence they had different pH and organic matter (P < 0.05). Silage made from TC cut before harvesting had higher (P < 0.05) crude protein, true protein and NPN contents, may be due to the lower percentage of SB crowns produced in the first method. Also highest levels of DM, OM, d.value digestibility percentage were observed in the first method.

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