New robust sugar beet varieties

Climate change and reduced use of plant protection products will increase demand for more resistant and drought-tolerant sugar beet varieties in the future. For the coming season, we already have the first varieties with high tolerance to virus yellows ready for delivery. We are expecting to register two or three varieties in Europe in 2023 and more are on their way.

Over the past year, nematode populations in the fields have increased in several countries, and we have launched various new nematode-tolerant varieties in Europe. In Spain, customers have welcomed Flixter for fields both with and without nematodes. In France, we have launched Galion, characterized by its good Cercospora and nematode tolerance. In the Czech Republic, we successfully launched the nematode-tolerant Vitus, and in the Nordic countries, the nematode-tolerant Castello is now available.