Limagrain UK expands sugar beet portfolio

Limagrain has added two exciting new sugar beet varieties to the BBRO 2022 Recommended List, whilst the highest yielding variety on the Recommended List, BTS 1915, keeps its lead for the second year running at 107.3%.

BTS 5570 has one of the best disease resistance packages available along with high sugar content. BTS 3020 offers high yield and excellent bolting resistance as an earlier sowing option.

“Sitting amongst the pack for highest yields (101.5%), BTS 5570 offers flexibility in drilling, showing excellent Early Sown Bolters (ESB) and Normal Sown Bolters (NSB) characteristics,” says Ron Granger, arable technical  manager for Limagrain UK.

“BTS 5570’s robust disease resistance profile illustrates how sugar beet breeders are raising the bar when it comes to breeding for disease resistance,” he points out.

“The variety has an 8.1 rating for rust, 5.2 for powdery mildew and the available, limited data from both Betaseed trials and the Recommended List trials, suggests it has better than average Cercospora resistance.”

BTS 3020 joins the Recommended List as the early bird variety within the Limagrain portfolio having consistently delivered 3 years of very low counts in the early sowing period before the 5th of March.

“This result has been consistent over the last three years, including data from 2020, which we know was a higher year for bolting.”

“BTS 3020 has high adjusted tonne yields of 102.2%, the third highest yielding variety on the RL, and again also offers a very good disease resistance package with a rating of (7.5) for rust and 4.6 powdery mildew,” says Mr Granger.

Both varieties are Rhizomania resistant.

Highest yields for second year running

The highest yielding variety on the Recommended List, BTS 1915 keeps its lead for the second year running at 107.3%.

“Despite the difficulties of the 2020 season and the yields impacted as a consequence of virus yellows, BTS 1915 held onto its exceptional yields across a range of locations and situations.”

“This significant yield advantage of 4.6% over any other variety on the RL – and also as the highest yielding variety in untreated trials at 108.4%, really proves the quality of the genetics behind the variety,” says Mr Granger.

“The consistency of performance of BTS 1915 over 4 years is quite remarkable, and should give growers the reassurance that they are looking for when considering what variety to grow this year.”

BTS 1915 is not just about high yields however, he continues. “We recognise that varieties also need to establish well, have good bolting tolerance and robust disease resistances to succeed.”

BTS 1915 is not a variety to be considered for the early drilling situation as indicated by the red X (unsuitable for sowing before mid March), points out Mr Granger.

“We recommend the variety for the normal to late sowing period – mid March onwards, which for the majority of growers is the mean average drilling date on farm. ”

BTS 1140 is the more established variety of the portfolio and remains a very competitive package that has demonstrated its resilience on farm across some very testing seasons.

BTS 1140 has a high adjusted tonnes yield (100%) combined with acceptable disease and good sugar content.

“This, backed up by its consistency of performance over seasons, is why it has become a leading variety popular with many growers for the normal to later sowing period.”

BTS 4100 also remains on the RL and continues to have the highest sugar content available, an important consideration for some growers. The variety also has low ESB bolting figures and is suitable for the earlier drilling scenario.

Limagrain UK / Betaseed Sugar Beet Portfolio 2022

Bred by Betaseed, the Limagrain UK portfolio offers sugar beet varieties to suit a range of situations and requirements:

• BTS 1915 remains the highest yielding variety on the 2022 Recommended List for the second year running with an adjusted tonne yield of 107.3%
• BTS 5570 (NEW) offers an exceptional disease resistance package, combined with a very high sugar content of 17.6%
• BTS 3020 (NEW)  is the early bird offering an opportunity to drill early and is supported by a strong disease resistance package.
• BTS 1140 remains competitive – a leading variety, popular with growers
• BTS 4100 offers the highest sugar content of 17.7%