A commercial-scale low-input sugar beet trial is under the spotlight amid mounting pressure to cut costs and improve environmental performance. Hosted at the Elveden Estate in Suffolk, an open day on 18 June will bring together growers, agronomists and supply chain businesses to assess how different cultivation and nitrogen... Read more

Plant breeders are urging sugar beet growers to rethink their seed strategies as weed pressure, disease risk and difficult drilling conditions reshape crop prospects. The focus comes as growers face mounting challenges from weed beet, beet cyst nematode, virus yellows and cercospora, prompting greater interest in varieties with multiple... Read more

British Sugar and its grower base are facing mounting pressure after Associated British Foods warned there is “no evidence yet of a recovery” in the European sugar market next year. The group said its sugar division fell to a £27m adjusted operating loss in the first half of 2026... Read more

Sugar beet growers are being urged to prepare for a prolonged aphid control campaign as virus yellows pressure builds across eastern England. Many crops are likely to require a three-spray aphicide programme this season after warm spring conditions encouraged early pest activity, says the latest bulletin from the British... Read more

• Nutrient uptake in dry conditions • Alternative to artificial fertilisers • Helps crops reach yield potential More growers are treating beet crops with nitrogen fixing bacteria biofertilisers to ensure plants have essential nutrients available during key growth stages in dry weather. Early season applications of Vixeran lock nitrogen... Read more

Sugar beet growers looking to rationalise herbicide use should consider the pros and cons of alternatives – which may not suit all situations and seasons. British Sugar’s in-house weed specialist and technical support manager Pam Chambers has been testing different weed control strategies at a site in Yaxley, Suffolk,... Read more

• Dry spring slows crop growth • Many crops at different stages • Strategic approach to weeds Lack of rain continues to create challenging conditions for sugar beet – with hot weather adding to the challenge of what and when to spray for weed control. While the dry weather... Read more

Mastering disease control is crucial for growers to ensure sugar beet canopies keep photosynthesising efficiently this season. Speaking at a recent BASF webinar, experts gave a summary of the likely disease threats which could prevent growers from achieving maximum root weight and optimum sugar content. The key foliar diseases... Read more

A scientific breakthrough could provide UK farmers with environmentally friendly protection against a key sugar beet disease. Researchers at the Norwich-based John Innes Centre have developed a non-chemical molecular approach to protect crops against virus yellows – a disease which can reduce sugar beet yields by as much as... Read more

British Sugar has recruited Emily Whitmarsh as technical sales manager for LimeX – the most widely used liming product by UK farmers. A byproduct of the sugar-refining process, LimeX is popular with farmers for its fine particle size and the presence of additional plant nutrients. One tonne of LimeX... Read more