Sugar beet
Growers welcome at BBRO open days
Field trial conditions need to be as uniform as possible for accurate results
Six newcomers make 2018 recommended list for sugar beet
• Strict trials by real growers on real farms • Better value from BSPB for beet growers • New format aids interpretation of results
S
ix new varieties of sugar beet have passed stringent field trials to be accepted on the official Recommended List for 2018.
Managed by the British Beet
Research Organisation (BBRO) and the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB), the list ranks varieties that are significantly better performing – not just for yield but also for resilience to dis- ease and bolting risk. Mike May, chairmain of the Recommended List Board, ex- plains that the selection process is tough. “To earn a place on the
Recommended List, the new va- rieties have to perform well over three years of field trials,” he says. “We are testing the genetics
which means the conditions need to be as uniform as possible across the plots for both the newcom- ers 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.” To be eligible for the list, the varieties must be on the Nation- al List or the EU Common Cata- logue by 1 March the year before. There are six new PR1 varieties:
They are Bloodhound, BTS 3325, Daphna, Degas, Landon and Se- nada KWS.
The Trials Technical Group – currently chaired by Daniel Gods- mark of the BBRO – oversees the technical aspects of the trials, and the results are analysed by NIAB before being presented to a mul- ti-stakeholder Crop Committee to make the final decision.
Confidence
The process is continually as- sessed to give confidence to the breeders as well as to growers. This year, all the data is being presented in a new format famil- iar to the industry to help inter- pretation of the results. To be considered for the list,
the new variety must have dis- tinct characteristics, be uniform
Two summer open days will be hosted over the next few weeks by the British Beet Re- search Organisation (BBRO). The open days for 2017 will be held at the organisa- tion’s science sites on 6 June at Morley, Norfolk, on 4 July at Bracebridge Heath, Lin- colnshire. Growers will have the opportunity to see trials in progress and meet the sci- entists behind the plots. Visitors will be able to see the varieties on the 2018 Recommended List and hear about innovative new pellets aimed at enhancing future yield. Special exhibits will highlight soil health, crop data collection and manage- ment
Demonstration plots will focus on nitrogen rates, fun- gicide use and soil and root in- teractions. The BBRO team will be present for growers who want to hear more about the research and innovations for the sugar beet crop. Both days start at 11am and end at 3pm. Refreshments will be available throughout the day. The BBRO is send- ing invitations to registered growers by email. The Recommended List of varieties can be found at www.
bbro.co.uk/varieties/recom- mended-list-2018.
and stable in performance and of- fer value for cultivation and use. Traits such as partial resistance to AYPR rhizomania might make the grade even if yield is not sig- nificantly better.
BBRO knowledge exchange leader Simon Bowen is particu- larly interested in how varieties perform in bolter trials. A cold pe- riod will bring on vernalisation – continued on page 20
JUNE 2017 • ANGLIA FARMER 19
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