BEET GROWERS in areas prone to Docking disorder are being urged to rethink seed orders for next season, given that Temik (aldicarb) will no longer be approved for the crop.

The 90% of 2005 beet contracts returned so far show one in eight growers could be exposed to virus yellows risk, because they will need to use nematicide granules that lack the aphicidal activity offered by Temik, says British Sugar’s John Prince.

Alternatives include a full aphicidal spray programme, or Gaucho (imidacloprid) or Poncho Beta (clothianidin + beta-cyfluthrin) seed treatment.

Seed treatments make financial sense, he says. “They consistently provide better control and higher yields than foliar spray programmes.”

Growers revising contracts before the end of August should have requirements met.