| Arable
Six newcomers make the recommended list 2018 for sugar beet
Stringent field trials on real farms increases value of BBRO BSPB list to growers .
S ix new varieties of sugar beet have made it through stringent field trials to be accepted on the Recommended List 2018 , managed by BBRO ( British Beet Research Organisation ) and BSPB ( British Society of Plant Breeders ). To make the grade the varieties have to be significantly better performing not just for yield but also for resilience to disease and bolting risk .
Mike May , chair of the RL Board , explains that the selection process is tough : “ To earn a place on the Recommended List the new varieties have to perform well over three years of field trials .
“ Having a strong list of varieties with background on how they perform year after year in the field will give growers the information they need to select the best varieties for their conditions ”
“ We are testing the genetics which means the conditions need to be as uniform as possible across the plots for both the newcomers and the controls . The sites are on farms run by some of our best growers so we can see how the varieties perform under field conditions .”
Some varieties have been withdrawn from the list for 2018 and there are six new PR1 varieties : Bloodhound , BTS 3325 , Daphna , Degas , Landon and Senada KWS .
To be eligible for the RL the varieties must be on the National List , which is overseen by APHA , or the EU Common Catalogue by 1st March of the year before .
The Trials Technical Group ( TTG ) currently chaired by Daniel Godsmark of the BBRO , oversees the technical aspects of the trials , and the results are analysed by NIAB before being presented to a multi-stakeholder Crop Committee to make the final decision .
The process is continually assessed this gives confidence to the breeders and grower base . This year all the data will be presented in a new format familiar to the industry to help interpretation of the results .
To be considered for the RL the new variety must bring distinct characteristics , be uniform and stable in performance and offer value for cultivation and use . If it has a special trait , such as partial resistance to AYPR rhizomania , then it might make the grade even if the yield is not significantly better .
Dr Simon Bowen , Knowledge Exchange and Crop Progression Lead of BBRO , is particularly interested in how the varieties perform in bolter trials . A cold period will bring on vernalisation ( the production of flowers ) which is undesirable , as the plant will produce seed instead of building sugar in the root .
Bowen explains : “ A long growing season will improve the yield and sugar concentration , but an early sowing increases the risk of bolting . The trials include a comparison between Early Sown Bolting ( ESB ) and Normal Sown Bolting ( NSB ) to see how a variety performs under severe conditions . The results mean that growers will be able to make an informed decision about the risk of bolting .”
Disease resistance is also important and some of the new varieties have claims by the breeder that they are tolerant to BCN . However , the mechanism behind this is not known .
Dr Mark Stevens , Scientific & Crop Stability Lead at BBRO , comments : “ Disease resistance to rust and powdery mildew is given a score based on percentage leaf infection . We have recently started conducting powdery mildew trials under controlled conditions to provide a reliable assessment of the plant ’ s resistance regardless of the disease risk for that season . Colin MacEwan , Head of BBRO , ( picture attached ) says that improving the quality and consistency of the RL programme will continue to drive yield .
“ Having a strong list of varieties with background on how they perform year after year in the field will give growers the information they need to select the best varieties for their conditions . It will also be possible for them to benchmark their yields against crops grown under best practice . I believe the attention to detail given by the RL Board will continue to pay dividends in the future .”
The Recommended List of varieties can be found at bbro . co . uk / varieties / recommended-list New varieties for 2018
Judged on percentage yield above the best three controls , bolting risk , tolerance to disease ( where 9 is the highest resistance ) and establishment before gapping to ~ 18 cm .
Bloodhound – entered with 100.8 % above the control for adjusted yield , good on bolting and establishment . It has a disease score for rust of 3 and 4 for powdery mildew .
BTS 3325 - scored 103.0 % adjusted yield above control , good pre-gap establishment , no problem with bolting . Scored 7 for rust and 5 for powdery mildew .
Daphna – adjusted yield 106.9 % above control , suitable for early sowing , tolerant to BCN .
Degas – 102.0 % above control for adjusted yield , chance of bolting , slightly weaker on disease .
Landon – has an adjusted yield performance of 104.7 %. This variety scored 7 for rust and 4 for powdery mildew .
Senada KWS – yield performance is 105.6 % above control , lower pre-gap establishment so a higher seed rate may be required .
How neonicotinoids ban would affect your farm
The NFU has urged farmers and growers to speak to their MP , prospective parliamentary candidates and MEP to make them aware of the devastating consequences a blanket ban of neonicotinoids on outdoor crops would have on their farm businesses .
T he call comes in response to European Commission proposals to widen current neonicotinoid restrictions to ban all uses on field-grown crops , extending its current restrictions to include non-flowering crops .
The NFU is calling on the Commission to reconsider this proposal to enable time for proper discussion with member states and the industry . It has written to the European Commission outlining its concerns and the consequences such a ban would have on farmers .
NFU Vice President Guy Smith said : “ A blanket ban of neonicotinoids on outdoor crops would be devastating for farms across the country . The numbers of pests are rising across the country1 and dealing with these pressures is costly2 . Growing crops without these seed treatments could become very difficult .
“ Neonicotinoid seed treatments form an incredibly important part of the integrated pest management approach which farmers adopt . I know it would make implementing this approach more difficult for farmers without these seed treatments .
“ Nowhere else in the world are farmers under threat from losing neonicotinoid insecticides as they produce food under the threat from insects . By denying UK farmers these key crop production tools , our competitors who have access to these products are being gifted a market .
“ We ’ re encouraging farmers and growers to speak to their MP , prospective parliamentary candidates and MEP to describe the impact a blanket ban would have on their farm . If politicians are made aware of the consequences of a ban , they may be persuaded to vote against one .
“ The NFU fully supports an evidence and risk-based approach to regulation and believes the Commission ’ s current proposal is poorly evidenced . There is concern that the proposals put the EU objective of safeguarding the competitiveness of European agriculture at serious risk .
“ The proposals would not only impact major crops such as cereals but also sugar beet and vegetables as there are no effective alternatives to neonicotinoid seed treatments .”
Farmers can contact their MP and MEP on this issue , attend an MP surgery to make them aware or get involved by telling your story on social media .
www . farmingmonthly . co . uk May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 13