Assess your soil and resources and challenge yourself to become a Champion Grower.
This competition is not about the highest yielding crop, it is about managing the resources at your disposal to the best effect. As an entrant to the competition we asses your soil capabilities, monitor rainfall, drilling/spraying timings and crop development throughout the growing season to ascertain the potential maximum yield for your sugar beet enterprise. The winners will be determined as those reaching the highest percentage of their theoretical potential yield in their factory area and from them we will choose an overall Country CHAMPION.
Entries for the 2017 Sugar Beet Yield Competition are now closed but for further details or to enter for 2018 please email us:
THE COMPETITION
Sugar beet crops entered into the annual competition are measured through the 'Crop Model' operated by the BBRO for the potential and actual yield.
- Potential sugar beet yield measured according to soil type, drilling date, rainfall etc.
- Each crop entered must be 2 hectare or more (whole field).
- Delivered fields (or plot) yield will be measured at factories from growers deliveries.
- Percentage of potential will then be calculated to show how close to the full potential a field (or plot) has been produced.
- Competitors will be split into categories (e.g. individual growers, groups or agronomists).
THE AIMS
The competition enables sugar beet growers, agronomists and researchers to work together or individually to find out how best to improve sugar beet yields and share best practice to contribute to the future success of the UK sugar beet crop.
- In the UK sugar beet crops have produced 145 tonnes per hectare but the average is less than half of this.
- Competing and showing how the winning crops are grown will define the differences in best practice versus average practice providing the information advisors and growers need to make a step change towards higher yields.
ENTRY AND THE PRIZE
The competition runs annually with each crop year being an entry for that season.
A winner will be chosen from each factory area with the title of CHAMPION Sugar Beet Grower being awarded to the entrant reaching the highest percentage of their theoretical potential yield for the whole country. The Champion and the factory area winners will accompany representatives from the sponsoring organisations on a study tour in Europe.
GOOD LUCK to all Beet Yield Competition entrants for this year.
