Maximising yield potential: expert advice for sugar beet disease management this season

Following variable and, for some, challenging weather conditions during spring, growers managing sugar beet crops are now focused on maximising every plant’s potential. With rainfall in early June fuelling rapid canopy expansion, careful planning and attention to detail are vital to maintain healthy growth.

Professor Mark Stevens, Head of Scientific Endeavour at BBRO, highlighted the typical seasonal rollercoaster. In East Anglia, after initial dry spells led to two-stage emergence, the region experienced periods of significant rain in early-June, leading to rapid growth followed by record-breaking temperatures. While some earlier challenges - such as sporadic aphid migration and the early sighting of beet moth - have been in focus, he says it is important to maintain attention on the foliar diseases and not allow any to get a hold.

“It is amazing just how quickly the crop has grown,” notes Mark. “We are now at a critical stage where our vigilance needs to match the rapid expansion of the leaves. We need to keep a close eye on detecting diseases early, as losing leaf area at this stage will have significant financial repercussions.”

Watching for common threats

With more high temperatures anticipated, several major fungal threats could emerge in the coming weeks.

“Powdery mildew is perhaps the first candidate, but growers must also remain prepared for the possibility of cercospora, and later in the season, rust,” he adds.

The timing of fungicide intervention is highly strategic. While initial applications are typically recommended from mid-July onwards, Mark stresses that different diseases peak at different times. Powdery mildew will be the early concern this year, however damp and warm conditions could prompt outbreaks of cercospora as well, adding: “At our research facility, we have seen cercospora come into crops as early as mid-June.”

Mark advises growers to consider varieties’ resistance scores and keep an eye on those with lower resistance.

“Check your inbox for our bulletins, we will share updates, as and when we start to see disease,” he says.

Managing uneven crops

Where growers are tackling uneven crops, it is the most forward plants that have the most yield potential.

“Protecting those plants at the later growth stages helps to keep disease out and prevent further spread,” explains Mark.

Looking ahead, he reminds growers of the importance of timely applications: “Don’t let the door to disease open between applications. From our trials, spray intervals of 21-28 days tend to offer the best disease control, keeping the canopy healthy. I know it is a busy time of year on farm but if disease gets in, it becomes very difficult to stop.”

Balanced chemistry protects against resistance

Fungicides approved for use in sugar beet are limited. With the core products drawing from just three chemical groups, BASF Business Development Manager, Paul Goddard, acknowledges that managing disease while respecting FRAC guidelines is seemingly difficult.

The answer he says lies in Revystar XE.

“It is a product that is perfectly balanced, offering broad and effective control from both active ingredients. They support one another with strong activity against all the major diseases – powdery mildew, cercospora, rust and ramularia,” he explains. “With both Revysol and Xemium doing ‘the heavy lifting’, both are supported, ensuring that there’s not undue selection pressure on either active.”

Paul points out that Revystar does more than just fight disease; it promotes the physiological health of the plant. Maintaining healthy green leaf area later into the season will continue to drive yield and offer protection to the crown against potential frost damage during the winter months.

Optimising programmes yields £369/ha ROI

When faced with selecting the best disease control strategy, Paul provides specific guidance on programme frequency.

“The first application sets the foundation for what follows; trials have shown the strongest comes from Revystar,” he says.

“Our trials conducted over multiple seasons show that the benefit of a Revystar start cannot be clawed back; starting with anything less has been shown to lose the grower between £103 and £369/ha.”

Pauls says that it is very rare for one fungicide application to provide adequate defence, even for the earliest lifted crops. To safeguard and maximise returns, he recommends two applications of Revystar XE®.

Given FRAC guidelines on the use of products containing QoI chemistry, the label restrictions of other solutions and product performance in trials, for three spray programmes, Paul recommends using Revystar® XE at the first and second applications, followed by Angle® or Priori® Gold. This approach is also fully FRAC compliant.

“Don’t close the gate on beet crops too early,” reminds Mark. “Remember you can gain up to 40% yield potential from the 1st September onwards, so everything we can do to ensure that it is a healthy, photosynthesising crop is important.”

Paul agrees, adding: “Strategic timing and choosing a robust, balanced chemistry are the best ways for growers to safeguard their investment this season.”