Yielding a massive 5% more than any other variety on the 2021 BBRO Recommended List, BTS 1915 leads the pack, with an adjusted tonne yield of 108.1% and a high sugar content of 17.7%.

Bred by Betaseed and marketed by Limagrain UK, BTS 1915 leads the Recommended List by a considerable amount – 5% over any other variety – and this is exceptional. Next on the list is KWS Evalotta yielding 103%, followed by last year’s list topper KWS Kortessa at 101.9%, so it’s clear to see the exceptional yield increase brought by BTS 1915,” explains Ron Granger, sugar beet product manager for Limagrain.

“We normally expect to see year on year yield advances of 1-2% in yields – so BTS 1915 is something quite special – and this is at a time when many other arable crop yields have plateaued.”

“Nor is it a one year wonder performance” he adds. “These extremely high yields have been consistent over the last three years that the variety has been in trials – so we are confident in the variety’s ability to perform in different seasons and situations.”

“We are also in the fortunate position where sugar beet breeders are still able to push yields without compromising the sugar content – and this is reflected in BTS1915 with its very acceptable sugar percentage of 17.7.”

Nor is it all about the yields, he continues. “BTS 1915 has excellent agronomic characteristics that make it a very useful variety on-farm. We recognise that varieties also need to establish well, have good bolting tolerance and robust disease resistances to succeed.”

“However when BTS 1915 is sown in  the normal sowing window from mid-March onwards, it has shown an excellent bolting tolerance, recording no bolters. This result has been consistent over the last three years, including data from 2019, which we know was a high year for bolting.”

“However, it should be recognised that when BTS 1915 is sown early, the variety might show excessive botling as the Early Sown Bolter trials, conducted as part of the Recommended List trial series demonstrate. “

“The variety has the highest brown rust disease resistance rating on the Recommended List of 8.7 , thus making it the first choice for late lifting where brown rust is potentially the key disease to control.”

What does 5% yield increase mean for sugar beet profitability?

BTS 1915 provides an opportunity for growers who want to take the next step-up in yields as in doing so they are raising the bar in sugar beet production even higher – making themselves more resilient against the rising costs of producing a sugar beet crop.

According to figures from the  John Nix Pocketbook for Farm Management 2019 edition, the additional benefits of this 5% yield are significant in terms of profitability, irrespective of the crop being low, average or high yielding. See chart above.

Increasing the yield by 5% on a crop yielding 66.5t/ha by 3.325t/ha brings a financial benefit of £67/ha. For a crop yielding 78t/ha, a 5% increase in yield of3.9t/ha is worth £79.80/ha and on a crop yielding 89.5t/ha an extra 5% benefit in yield of 4.475t/ha is worth £91.51/ha. This is based on a 2020 beet price, on a three-year contract at £20.45/t with no crown tare reduction.

Bolting resistance is key for sugar beet grower, Andy Cooper of North Norfolk and last campaign he turned to Betaseed’s BTS 3325, for early drilling.

Managing 730ha of tenanted land on the Sandringham Estate, north east of Kings Lynn, Mr Cooper typically grows three varieties across his 160ha beet area in early, mid and late-drilled slots. Strube variety, Haydn has taken the early slot into the farm’s sandy loams over chalk in recent seasons, with the variety having the lowest bolter numbers on the BBRO Recommended List when sown on or before 5th March.

However, Mr Cooper replaced Haydn with BTS 3325 for the 2018-19 campaign as it offered suitability for early drilling, plus higher yield and improved disease resistance. In 2018, the farm received half of its annual rainfall between January and March, so drilling was delayed until April and its bolting resistance was not tested, after conditions quickly turned hot and dry post-drilling.

Andy Cooper, Norfolk Farmer

However, Mr Cooper was pleased with the performance of the variety in its first year, despite the delayed establishment, giving an adjusted yield of 80t/ha from a late-November lift.

High-yielding sugar beet variety finds favour in Lincs

Lincolnshire sugar beet grower, Charles Roe has opted for variety BTS 1140 this year, lured by the potential for 7% higher yield over two of last year’s picks. Overseeing 243ha near Horncastle with his father, John, Mr Roe has grown sugar beet for many years on the farm’s mostly sandy clay loams but took a break for a decade, due to increasing levels of weed beet.

Charles Roe, Lincolnshire Farmer

The crop returned to the rotation for the 2018-19 campaign and he opted to split his 30ha area between three varieties; Betaseed’s BTS 3325, Haydn and Firefly. With individual varieties outclassed relatively quickly as the remarkable improvement in sugar beet yield potential continues, the farm opted to revise its variety line-up this year. Mr Roe believes yield is king when selecting a sugar beet variety and at 104.9% of mean adjusted tonnes, BTS 1140 offers a massive 7% increase over BBRO Recommended List control varieties; Haydn and Firefly, which it has now replaced. “When you are looking at Recommended Lists, I can’t get excited about one or two per cent, but anything over 5%, I see as significant and that’s why we went with BTS 1140 this year,” he explains.

Limagrain UK 2020 UK beet crop varieties

BTS 3325
Has good early sown bolting tolerance, outyielding many of the traditional varieties in this early drilling slot. It has a very high sugar content and good overall disease resistance.

BTS 1140
Offers a significant yield advantage over many varieties on the new BBRO Recommended List. It offers a high sugar content, combined with good foliar disease tolerance.

BTS 4100
Joins the 2020 BBRO Recommended List with the highest sugar content of any sugar beet variety. It has high yields and low bolting counts at early sowing.