Limagrain UK has added two new sugar beet varieties to the BBRO 2023 Recommended List: the BTS 3610 and the BTS Smart 9485.
BTS 3610
The BTS 3610 delivers highly for on-farm performance through a combination of a competitive yield, high sugar content and high disease resistance (5.9 for rust, 5.3 for powdery mildew and 6.6 for Cercospora).
Ron Granger, the arable technical manager for Limagrain UK, said: “Whilst BTS 3610 sits in the pack for top yielders at 101.6% (adjust tonnes %), and has one of the highest sugar contents of 17.3%, this variety is about more than just yields.”
It also has a flexible drilling window, suitable for both the earlier and normal drilling dates, and is Rhizomania tolerant.
BTS Smart 9485
The BTS Smart 9485 is Betaseed’s first Smart herbicide resistant variety: the highest yielding variety in this specialist category.
“Its yields of 96% are very encouraging for an ALS resistant variety where there has been a bit of yield lag to date. It reflects an improvement over current ALS genetics, which will be welcome news for growers in this category,” said Mr Granger.
“It has solid on-farm characteristics with good bolting resistance. When sown in the early drilled slot before March 5th, it has 2,327 bolters and 0 in the normal sowing slot.”
“BTS Smart 9485 also offers a good disease resistance profile with a 4.9 for rust, 5.9 for powdery mildew and 6 for Cercospora. Again, an improvement over previous varieties that were on the List last season in this category,” he added.
Highest yielding variety
BTS 1915 has retained its title for the highest yielding variety on the Recommended List, for the third year running. It has a yield of 107.1%.
Mr Granger said: “The consistency of performance of BTS 1915, over five years, is quite remarkable. It should give growers the reassurance they are looking for, when considering what variety to grow this year.”
“This significant yield advantage over any other variety on the Recommended List – and also as the highest yielding variety in untreated trials at 106.5%, really proves the quality of the genetics behind the variety.”
The BTS 1915 does have a good disease resistance profile but ‘it is not a variety to be considered for the early drilling situation (unsuitable for sowing before mid March)’, noted Mr Granger.
“We recommend the variety for the normal to late sowing period – mid March onwards. Which, for the majority of growers, is the mean average drilling date on farm,” concluded Mr Granger.