Arab farmers are making a big step by cultivating sugar beets

Until the rains arrived on Monday 15 April, Dutch farmers were off to a good start growing sugar beets. Nationally, approximately 45 percent of the acreage is under cultivation, Cosun Beet Company reported.

Arable farmers in Flevoland in particular have made great progress. In this county, more than 90 percent of the sugar beets are already in the ground. Most of it remains to be done in the southeast of the Netherlands: approximately a quarter to a third of it is underground there.

According to Cosun, the quality of the nursery varies widely. In addition, the subsoil was not suitable enough everywhere when sowing, but arable farmers still decided to sow because of the expected rainfall period. Most farmers were also able to apply their first soil herbicide after planting.

Insect damage

Furthermore, Cosson reported that snail damage was mainly observed on the edges of clay plots with a rough seed bed. For this reason, arable farmers planted the first plots of cultivated land early. The Beet Group recommends regularly checking for damage up to the two-leaf stage and spreading slug pellets if damage occurs. In addition, feeding damage has been observed due to leather jackets and wireworms.

The IRS reports that early-planted beets draw The first green mannaYellow virus vectors have been found. According to the Knowledge and Research Institute, the numbers are currently still well below the damage thresholds and there is no reason to intervene at the moment, but it is wise to examine plots of land carefully.

Wild rabbits

The IRS also sees the oldest parcels of land under cultivation Nutrition by wild rabbits, which often leaves the typical damage pattern. Along a row, sometimes several meters in a row, hares eat the leaves of all plants up to the same height. The damage is greatest when only the stems remain. This results in the loss of the plant, because the growing point is eaten.

Rabbit droppings are often visible on eaten beet plants. According to the IRS, the damage pattern is visible until the four-leaf stage. After that, feeding no longer causes plant loss. By installing electric fencing, arable farmers can limit the damage caused by wild rabbits. Farmers can also consider offering alternative feeds, such as carrots.