With one type of harvest likely to roll straight into another we meet up with Prof Mark Stevens to assess the levels of virus and foliar disease in the sugar beet crop. Low levels of infection bodes well for those able to leave the crop in the ground a little bit longer, making the most of any late growth.

Whilst most of us want to forget the 2020 beet crop, four growers did well in the face of adversity and have just been announced as the factory winners of the Beet Yield Challenge. Hear how they achieved it and who of the four (Will Baker – Newark, Will Sands – Cantley, Jonathan Quail – Wissington and the Hitchcock family – Bury) has been awarded Champion Beet Grower of 2020.

We join some of the BBRO Team at BeetField21 and listen to discussions ranging from irrigation, drought resistance, variety choice, virus and aphid control, plus an update on the Beet Yield Challenge.

Join us at Morley Farms with farm manager David Jones and BBRO’s Head of Operations Stephen Aldis; checking on our under-sown barley work and discussing weed control.

Drilling complete at BBRO Demo Farms and preparation underway for the summer events. We meet site host, grower Bill Legge at Wallington Hall to discuss how he selects his varieties and what he is hoping to gain from having the BBRO team 'on-farm'.

The 2022 RL is now available (https://bbro.co.uk/sugar-beet-varieties/recommended-list/). Mike May and Dr Vicky Foster reflect on the release and the use of the first Beet mild yellowing virus tolerant variety.

The results from the Rothamsted virus forecasting model have now been released, these indicate a reduced aphid population and therefore significantly lower risk of virus in 2021. Listen to how BBRO utilise models to support growers and how this can improve decision making.

Good soil structure is crucial in getting an early spring crop such as sugar beet away, but just how do you achieve that in wet or frosty environments? Soils specialist Philip Wright offers a few pointers for making the most of the conditions and time before drilling commences.

As we enter 2021, BBRO continues to look for solutions to support growers against Virus Yellows in the short-term, whilst also looking further ahead with the appointment of Dr Georgina Barratt who will be investigating a number of new work streams to build confidence in the crop for the future.

With aphids and virus very much at the forefront of our minds we speak to grower Tom Clarke about introducing an army of beneficials to the crop, and how his fields with under-sown barley fared. We also take a trip to harper Adams University to hear from PhD student Paul Chunga re cell wall integrity.