New varieties extend choice for growers

• High-yielding and early drilling

• Traits include inbuilt tolerance

• Recommended list will ‘evolve’

Six new varieties have been added to the 2026 sugar beet list – with more traits to choose from when growing the crop.

The 2026 list includes more varieties with in-built tolerance to pests and disease. That said, the number of available varieties has increased by just one to 23 because some varieties have dropped off the list.

Additions include SESVanderHave high-yielding conventional varieties Antler and Gadwall – along with Hoopoe which bolsters the beet cyst nematode portfolio of genetics. All three varieties qualify for early drilling.

Hilleshög makes a return the recommended list with the entry Aslan, which is marketed by SESVanderHave. Another high yielding conventional variety, it too is suitable for early drilling.

Yield improvement

The first new addition from KWS for 2026 is Generosa. It joins Marushca as the breeder’s second virus tolerant variety. This provides an improvement in yield performance over Marushca, says the company.

As a first for the recommended list, KWS has added the trait combination of beet cyst nematode (BCN) and acetolactate synthase (ALS) resistance in a single variety. Smart Nelda is for growers looking to use ALS technology with a known BCN problem.

Strube brought ST Tweed to the list in 2025 as a conventional variety. But ST Tweed now becomes an SY2, with the addition of a virus yellows trait claim. As with previous years, all trait claims are based on external data sources beyond the trials.

This is assessed by an expert panel for robustness and then approved by the official crop committee. As with the other VY tolerant varieties, growers should contact the breeder regarding their performance in the presence of the three viruses.

While 2024 was favourable for beet growing, rain showers during spring were challenging for establishing trials – despite keeping aphids at bay.

Although seed bed conditions were often exceptional, heavy rain after drilling led to reduced establishment.

Switching one untreated trials to treated – to ensure that enough crop was available to harvest – resulted in only one untreated trial going to yield.

Limited data

This means that limited data is available  for year one varieties and any data should be treated with caution.

Bigger visual changes to the Recommended List results are expected to be seen in 2027 with a move from genetic to product testing.

The BBRO says the list will continue to deliver as much information as possible to assist with the selection of all varieties – with any differences between individual varieties are small and statistically insignificant.

Variety tables are available on the BBRO website. To make them easier to navigate, yield performance alone now ranks the varieties from left to right as listed on the tables.

All growers and advisors will have been frequently reminded of the importance of the ‘X’ on the recommended list – with early sown bolter trials suggesting certain varieties shouldn’t be drilled before mid-March.

For 2026, a purple ‘X’ can now be seen. This recommendation is from the breeder and does not relate to bolter numbers. The advice relates to Smart varieties only and reflects the stewardship advice for ALS technology.

2026 – new varieties

1. Antler (SV)

2. Gadwall (SV)

3. Hoopoe (SV) – BCN

4. Aslan (HH)

5. Generosa (KWS) – VY claim

6. Smart Nelda (KWS) – BCN & ALS

Harvest data aids variety selection

Growers now have valuable additional information to select the most appropriate sugar beet varieties, says plant breeder SESVanderHave.

The release of data from 2024 sugar beet harvest by the British Beet Research Organisation will help growers choose the best varieties to sow in their location, says Ian Munnery, UK director for SESVanderHave.

“It’s encouraging to see three of our varieties – Antler, Gawall and Hoopoe – all recommended. This confirms the excellent performance we have seen in three years of Animal and Plant Health Agency trials.”

Sugar content

Antler is yielding as high as the previous number one, but with higher sugar content and lower bolting. Also gaining recommended status is Aslan – bred by Hilleshog and marketed by SESVanderHave UK.

Hoopoe has joined the list for its outstanding performance under the threat of beet cyst nematode. Meanwhile, for growers facing the challenge of AYPR rhizomania, Osprey is the only recommended variety, says Mr Munnery.

“Many growers will acknowledge this aligns with their own farm experience from trialling these varieties.”

Changes introduced by NFU Sugar and British Sugar mean growers can now access new varieties and treatments earlier and directly from the breeder.

“While all our varieties have proven popular, we still have some stocks for anybody needing more seed this spring.”

About the sugar beet list

The recommended list is run and funded by the BBRO while the variety list is run and funded by breeders and independently verified by British Society of Plant Breeders.

Seed is unprimed. Early-sown bolting was determined in the separate trials that were not taken to yield.

The recommended list dataset also includes disease infection from separate trials that were not treated with foliar fungicides.