Tag: sugarbeet

Neonic Beet Treatment

Defra has granted an emergency authorization of Sygenta’s Cruiser SB seed treatment on sugar beet crops, in England, for the control of Yellow Virus (YV).

The emergency authorisation is dependent on nine conditions.  The conditions is the need for YV prevalence level, as predicted by the Rothamstead Research model, to be greater than 19% of area on 1st March 2022.  This is a much higher threshold than the 7% requested by the NFU in their application for authorisation.

Additionally,

  • Where Cruiser SB is used, the application rate should be a maximum of 75ml per 100,000 seeds. The label recommended volume is 100ml per 100,000 seeds.
  • Seed rates should not exceed 115,000 seeds per hectare, this is above the commercial rate.
  • As with last year’s criteria for emergency authorisation, no flowering crop can be planted in the same field within 32 months.
  • No further use of thiamethoxam can be used in the same field for 46 months.
  • An industry-recommended herbicide programme must be followed to limit flowering weeds in and around the sugar beet crop.
  • Treated seed must be fully incorporated in the soil and at the end of rows.
  • Treated seed should not be left on the soil surface with any spillages needing to be buried.
  • The authorisation can be withdrawn or amended at any time.

Defra granted an emergency authorisation last season.  However, due to low YV prevalence in March, neonicotinoid-based seed treatment was not used.  In 2018, 25% of the national sugar beet crop was lost to YV.  The estimated cost of losses to processors and growers in 2018 was £67 million.

 

Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle

Many will have noticed there are considerably fewer bright yellow fields than last year, and some a much paler shade of yellow than their owners will have wanted.  Evidence suggests that in the UK a slightly lower amount of oilseed rape was planted last autumn than previous the year.  A considerable proportion did not have a good start, possibly in part as a result of the very dry soil conditions at the time, but also the concerns of Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB).  This a meant an unknown quantity, but perhaps 8% of the national crop, written off before winter.

That which made it to the spring, is also in rather poor condition now, with another 5-10% being written off largely in the central and Western parts of England.  This will either be replaced with another crop or fallowed, or in some cases, left in poor condition, its owner resigned to the fact it will probably generate a poor yield.  It is concerning that reports are emerging that CSFB is having a damaging effect on the emerging sugar-beet crop too.  It is too early to speculate on yield impact, but we will continue to monitor this situation.

Ironically, reports from Lincolnshire suggest some bee-keepers are concerned there is insufficient OSR to supply enough nectar to produce honey from their hives.  Perhaps the loss of Neonicotinoids has had adverse impacts even on the insects that the ban was designed to protect.

What the impact of CSFB on OSR in the British farmer’s rotation in future might be is unclear, but many growers and agronomists have suggested their rotations and crop recommendations will not include OSR for at least three years.  The OSR area is in long-term decline; its area topped out in 2012 and has fallen every year since then apart from once.  In 2019 we could harvest the lowest rape area since 2004, and possibly the smallest crop since then too.