Unbeatable Combination

In Italy where about 40% of all KWS sales are in nematode tolerant varieties, trials show that the use of these types maintains the levels of nematodes from one season to the next.

“The tolerance we are currently working with stops the multiplication of the pest and at this stage yields are only restricted by around 5% compared to what would be expected from non-tolerant types on un-infested soils,” he says.

The big increase in the pest within Europe has come as a result of beet production being more highly concentrated around a fewer number of factories.

“So we should probably expect the problem to be more widely seen in the UK, especially on warmer, sandier soils,” suggests Dr Günter Diener.

The company also has varieties in official trials in the UK and expects to see nematode tolerance as a given characteristic in beet varieties across the EU within 10 years.

Alongside these major pest and disease issues, KWS also recognises the importance of other diseases particularly powdery mildew and rust.

“We have a general level of resistances in our gene pool and aim for good leaf health as a precursor for high yields,” says Günter Diener.

In the UK, KWS technical advisor, Martin Lainsbury suggests that resistance to these foliar diseases is increasingly important to UK growers looking to prolong green leaf activity and boost sugar yield.

This is where the variety Ace from KWS, with an unbeatable combination of resistance to both rust and powdery mildew, will be of real benefit. “Add onto this the greening effect of a triazole and it should be able to pile on yield, being well suited to later liftings.

Bolting resistance is also an absolute must have property and a high priority for KWS. “We positively select against low bolting resistance and carry out bolting trials drilling potential new beet varieties as soon as we can get onto ground in some of the highest risk areas,” says Günter.

This includes a 5000 plot trial in Humberside every year and a similar testing process on the north coast of France where the crop is drilled in very cold conditions at the end of February.

Seed production is also well isolated from any source of wild beet which produce annual bolters and the company utilises southern hemisphere seasons – in Chile and New Zealand – to further test varieties and also bring speed the seed multiplication process.

Mr Lainsbury highlights Anemona as setting high standards for bolting resistance in rhizomania resistant types “This has been a key characteristic in keeping a variety that is now 4 years old in the market,” he says. “Growers know it is tried and tested in this respect.”