C beet yield poses spray dilemma

4 February 2000

C beet yield poses spray dilemma

FUNGICIDES can give a significant yield response in sugar beet, but gross margins suffer when the extra yield is C-beet, Morley members were warned at last weeks meeting at the John Innes Centre, Norwich.

"If you are already going to meet A and B quota, do you need to use a fungicide?" asked sugar beet specialist Martin Lainsbury. That was certainly the case for most growers in last years good growing conditions.

Mr Lainsbury also suggested there was scope for sowings to be reduced this spring to cut unprofitable C-beet production. But account needs to be taken of rolling average yields rather than a knee-jerk reaction to one or two years of good yields.

Morley farm manager, Andrew Thurston, has already planned cuts for this season. "We are looking at a budget yield of 55-58t/ha instead of the usual 50t/ha," he said. But compared with the 74t/ha this year that is still conservative.

Raising his budgeted sugar beet yields – Morley farm manager, Andrew Thurston.