BeetCast

With a number of growers looking to increase their sugar beet contracts we catch up with some young growers to find out why they want to grow the crop and we also find out what's happening in the BBRO plant clinic.

Whilst many may hope to find a trip to Disneyland Florida hanging from their Christmas tree, our intrepid traveller and sugar beet enthusiast Dr Alistair Wright found the Disney of his dreams during a recent trip to Fargo, the sugar beet capital of the USA.

A bit of preparation now could reap rewards in future; particularly if you take a close look at your soil health. Simon and Georgina provide some helpful hints and guidance to the AHDB Soil Health Scorecard.

Whilst the crop has recovered well from drought, issues such as Beet Moth or cracked roots could expose the crop to secondary infection. Prof Mark Stevens explains what to watch out for.

An early release of the September edition of BeetCast to support growers in making those important variety choices we speak to some of the breeders about their seed portfolios.

With the sugar beet harvest due to start in a few weeks, we remind growers to keep an eye on canopies as they recover from drought. Checking for disease and nutrient deficiencies in order to keep the canopy as healthy as possible to maximise yield potential.