Beet yields set to average 80+t/ha

The 2021/22 campaign is expected to deliver average sugar beet yields in excess of 80t/ ha, a signi cant increase on 2020, due to ongoing developments in seed technology and genetics, a good growing season, and near-perfect conditions for crop recovery.

British Sugar is forecasting average sugar beet yields to be in excess of 80t/ha for the 2021/22 campaign – a reversion to normal yields – with crops performing better than many rst anticipated.

“The 2021 sugar beet crop started with a delayed drilling window followed by a prolonged cold weather front delaying establishment, but it has shown great resilience,” said Andrew Dear, head of agriculture (Bury and Cantley) and national seed manager. “When we reached June, the weather warmed up and the crop motored all the way through the summer.”

Lifting conditions have been good, too. “We have had almost perfect harvesting conditions, which means the crop recovery is a lot better,” he added.

British Sugar is expecting this year’s crop to reach around 80t/ha. “It’s looking really promising at the moment with a reversion to normal yields,” said Mr Dear.

Virus control

Although there was a derogation issued for Cruiser SB to control virus yellows in 2021, it wasn’t necessary. “The cold winter of 2020 and 2021 meant the aphid kill was high, so in turn that meant the Rothamsted virus yellows model – which forecasts the virus incidence in the crop – was low. As a result, the derogation was not triggered, and we didn’t use neonicotinoid seed treatments in 2021.”

Growers should have con dence in the Rothamsted model, he adds. “The prediction it gave on 1st March 2021 turned out to be very accurate. The model has 58 years of data which is very robust; it predicted we would have relatively low levels of infection and that’s exactly what we have seen.”

The 2021 crop has been a lot cleaner too, with very little foliar disease. “Last year we had virus yellows infections coupled with secondary infections of cercospora, but we haven’t seen that much this year at all. The canopy is much healthier which means the crop has put on weight the whole way through the autumn,” commented Mr Dear. FG

Farm results exceed expectation

Sugar beet grower Will Hitchcock (pictured right), of Hitchcock Farms, shared his on-farm opinion of the 2021/22 campaign, saying: “At the time of writing, sugar beet growers are awaiting the outcome of the 2022 Rothamsted Virus Yellows Model to see if the trigger level will be reached to allow Cruiser SB treatment to be applied to the seed. In January 2022, Defra granted the UK sugar industry emergency authorisation for the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments for the crop being drilled this year, subject to the Rothamsted Virus Yellows Model trigger threshold being met. The outcome of the model is expected at the start of March 2022.

“Writing in the nal week of the Bury 2021/22 sugar beet campaign, this season’s crop has been a welcome relief for many growers on two counts. Firstly, the growing conditions for the crop have been favourable allowing yield potential to be realised. The crop made up good ground after a dry April, thanks to plentiful rains throughout the summer. Also key to this year’s success was the negligible presence of virus yellows following the cold start to 2021, therefore allowing the crop to hold a fantastic full, green canopy well into the winter.

“The second reason for the success of this campaign has been the relatively benign winter weather. Not only has this allowed crop growth to continue, but it has also allowed harvesting to progress well and the following crops to be established successfully. This has been really good to see after the di cult campaigns of 2018/19 and 2019/20. Coupled with the kind weather has come further bonuses for dirt tare and sugar adjustment; on some loads to the factory this has provided a 3t uplift on dirty weights. Sugars are averaging well over 17%, and dirt tares around 5%.

“We have been lifting our own crop here in mid-Su olk right through the campaign. Back in midSeptember, elds were achieving 70–80t/ha; this then rose as we moved into the mid-point of the campaign to 80–90t/ha and now the last elds to be lifted are exceeding 100t/ha. This is really pleasing and a much-needed injection of optimism for the industry.

“All-in-all, despite some di culties with haulage supply and factory performance, the 2021/22 crop has certainly performed beyond expectations.”