Sugarbeet Challenge

Dave Braaten, ACH Seeds National Product Manager has reported that, "All sugarbeet regions of the United States are now threatened with Cercospora leaf spot, Apha-nomyces, Fusarium, sugarbeet cyst nematode, root aphid, powdery mildew, and multiple strains of rhizomania." The ACH Seeds company says recognizing and incorporating genetics that keep pace with new challenges is a key to achieving consistently high sugar content in the presence of a variety of environmental challenges. Here is John Enright, President of Betaseed Inc. speaking on a corporate video about retooling their plant to meet today's challenges. "The primary purpose of the projects to ensure that our customers along with the product that they are receiving would allow them to maximize the potential benefit of the genetics in the profits that we offer." My intent is not to specify any particular company but to report that working with plant genetics can be very beneficial to individual producers. As an example, sugar beet farmer Del Nollmeyer who rotates sugar beets with spring wheat near Savage, Mont. won a growers' contest with yields of 40 tons/acre and sugar content of 19.25 percent.  He said 2015 was his best year on record, and this past season, 2016, was his second best, averaging 37.7 tons/acre with an average sugar content of 18 percent.