Red beet is a very popular root vegetable in Poland. It is easily available on the market all year round, both as a fresh and processed product. Considering the level of consumption, red beet is the third most popular vegetable, after cabbage and carrot. It is easy to grow, produces high yields and is suitable for long term storage. It is also a vegetable characterized by very a high nutritional and dietetic value, rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins and organic acids. The actual quantities of these chemical compounds are mostly affected by a red beet cultivar, yield quantity and its quality.The aim of the study has been to estimate the effect of red beet cultivars of different storage root shapes on some quality characteristics of the yield and on the content of macro- and micronutrients in the roots. The experiment was conducted at the Vegetable Experimental Station in Dołuje in 2004-2006. In mid-May each year, seeds of ten red beet cultivars in the amount of 16 kg ha–1 were sown in rows spaced at 30 cm. The beetroots were harvested in the third decade of September. The results proved that the highest ratio of root to leaf mass was determined for the cultivar Rocket (on average 73.1%). In each year, the highest unit root weight was noted for the cultivars Opolski and Rocket. These two cultivars were also characterized by the highest content of dry matter (12.9 and 13.1%, respectively). In contrast, the least amount of dry matter was determined for the cultivars Bikores and Chrobry (10.5 and 10.6%). There were no significant differences assessed in the content of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na). However, there was a significant influence of the cultivars on the content of micronutrients. Among the cultivars tested Red beet is a very popular root vegetable in Poland. It is easily available on the market all year round, both as a fresh and processed product. Considering the level of consumption, red beet is the third most popular vegetable, after cabbage and carrot. It is easy to grow, produces high yields and is suitable for long term storage. It is also a vegetable characterized by very a high nutritional and dietetic value, rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins and organic acids. The actual quantities of these chemical compounds are mostly affected by a red beet cultivar, yield quantity and its quality. The aim of the study has been to estimate the effect of red beet cultivars of different storage root shapes on some quality characteristics of the yield and on the content of macro- and micronutrients in the roots. The experiment was conducted at the Vegetable Experimental Station in Dołuje in 2004-2006. In mid-May each year, seeds of ten red beet cultivars in the amount of 16 kg ha–1 were sown in rows spaced at 30 cm. The beetroots were harvested in the third decade of September. The results proved that the highest ratio of root to leaf mass was determined for the cultivar Rocket (on average 73.1%). In each year, the highest unit root weight was noted for the cultivars Opolski and Rocket. These two cultivars were also characterized by the highest content of dry matter (12.9 and 13.1%, respectively). In contrast, the least amount of dry matter was determined for the cultivars Bikores and Chrobry (10.5 and 10.6%). There were no significant differences assessed in the content of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na). However, there was a significant influence of the cultivars on the content of micronutrients. Among the cultivars tested in the experiment, the highest content of manganese was determined in cv. Czerwona Kula, zinc in cv. Bikores, iron in cv. Egipski and Czerwona Kula. Roots of cv. Czerwona Kula were also characterized by the highest content of copper in comparison with the other cultivars. In the experiment, the highest content of manganese was determined in cv. Czerwona Kula, zinc in cv. Bikores, iron in cv. Egipski and Czerwona Kula. Roots of cv. Czerwona Kula were also characterized by the highest content of copper in comparison with the other cultivars.