Sugar beets are having a hard time due to heat and drought

Despite a considerable area of ​​oversowing due to crust formation, the sugar beets are growing above average. But they have taken quite a beating in the past week, reports Cosun Beet Company. Due to the rapid foliage production in June and July, the water requirement of the crop is high. As a result, sugar beets in several regions hang limp or lie flat on the ground with their foliage. Various plots have been irrigated, which has also caused leaf burning. Plots that are less affected by drought make use of the strong solar radiation.

The sugar content, and therefore the quality, can also be compromised, the IRS reports. When the crop dries out and then absorbs moisture again, sugar from the root is used to develop new foliage. This is at the expense of the sugar content in the sugar beet.

Europe gives in
In Europe, sugar production is also expected to decrease compared to the previous season. This is evident in a report by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission. According to the report, the area of ​​sugar beet in Europe has fallen by 2,5% and the hectare yield is also lower than last season due to the persistent drought and high temperatures. It is still early in the season, but under current conditions the European Commission estimates the yield at 108 million tons of sugar beets. In combination with the acreage, this is a decrease of 5% in the total sugar beet yield compared to last season. Converted to sugar, this amounts to 15,8 million tons of sugar. Last season the yield was 16,7 million tons of sugar.

Switzerland sees beet growers drop to 4.000
The Swiss government, like Europe, banned the use of all neonicotinoids in sugar beets in 2019. In Switzerland they have not allowed an exception like some other countries and there are no effective alternative products on the market. As a result, they have yellowing problems that reduce the yield from 70 tons to sometimes as much as 30 tons of sugar beets per hectare. In recent years, the number of Swiss beet growers has decreased from 6.000 to 4.000. The government is trying to compensate for the lower yields and provides a subsidy of the equivalent of €2.100 per hectare. In addition, the price per ton of sugar beet is also higher.

Swiss sugar beet growers are demanding varieties that are resistant not only to the yellowing virus but also to the new bacterial disease 'syndrome des basses richesses', which has been developing in Switzerland and Germany since 2017. The disease causes a significant decrease in sugar content and its extraction in beets. In 2020, 2.500 hectares were affected in Switzerland.