Crop Production

This project focuses on water use efficiency (WUE) in sugar beet, which examines the plant’s water use and the associated yields achieved. Sugar beet is often observed to wilt in the field even when soil water is freely available, resulting in lost yield potential.

The experimental (field) data on the response of sugar beet to irrigation in England was reviewed. The literature mostly dates from the 1970s and 1980s and showed a general increase in sugar yield from irrigation ranging between 0 – 2 t/ha depending on the soil type and summer rainfall.

It has been long known that sugar beet does not yield well under drought conditions. In the UK there is a 10% yield loss as a result of drought on average and in dry years this can increase to up to 25% yield loss (Jaggard et al. 1998). 

The project is investigating the effect of autumn/winter cover crops on the physical structure of soil before and throughout the sugar beet crop and how this may influence growth and yield.

Large quantities of soil adhering to beet are delivered to factories during the campaign at considerable cost to the industry in transportation, removal and disposal.

On average, 10% of sugar beet yield is lost to drought in the UK. In field surveys are being used to identify constraints to rooting at depth, which limits water uptake. Future work will explore ways to overcome the constraints identified. The importance of early nutrient uptake to enhance rapid canopy expansion is well understood.

Aim: to understand the genetic basis of variation in sugar beet cell wall composition.

The objective to this proposed project is to produce a review to better understand how strip tillage is currently being used in sugar beet in the United Kingdom (UK) and across Europe. 

The project will re-evaluate sugar losses during storage to take account of modern 'whole beet' recovery practices and the increasing use of A-shaped storage clamps.

To evaluate the yield gains that could be obtained in commercial sugar beet defoliation systems.

Landfill is becoming increasingly expensive. This project assessed the impact of the use of paper pulp on sugar beet .

Assessment of the impact of increased plant populations and N rates on high-fertility soils