Seed Spacing and Treatment for Organically Grown Sugar Beet

W.F. CORMACK (1), P.J. JARVIS (2) and P.M.J. ECCLESTONE (2)
(1) ADAS Terrington, Terrington, St Clement, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 4PW, UK; (2)British Sugar plc, Oundle Road, Peterborough, PE2 9QU, UK

Abstract
Seed spacing and treatment were compared for organically grown sugar beet in nine experiments, over three years, on a range of soil types.

Yields were generally good, with five experiments yielding over 8 t/ha of sugar.

Sowing at 9 cm rather than the standard 17.5 cm spacing increased plant population at five sites, but increased yield at only one, even where populations were well below the recommended 75,000/ha. However, individual plants grew larger and so could cause increased losses in machine-harvested commercial crops.

AdvantageTM primed seed gave a greater sugar yield at only one site but experience in nonorganic crops is that it gives faster, more even emergence, allowing an earlier start to mechanical weed control, essential in organic crops.

In wet conditions on heavier soils, slug grazing caused severe plant loss. The lack of an effective commercial field-scale organic control is a major constraint to organic beet growing on heavier soils.

 

Source
Symposium No. 37 Proceedings, British Grassland Society, 2004
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research
North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 2SB, UK
Association of Applied Biologist & Colloquium of Organic Researchers

Posted March 2008