jan 2011 - the sugarbeet grower magazine

— Feature Articles —2010 Crop Year Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Reports from all North American growing areas

Stale Seedbed Within a Strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Michigan growers employ zone till in beets

Sugarbeets in Turkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Overview of industry in world’s fifth largest producing nation

— Regular Pages —

Dateline: Washington . . . . . . . . . . 10Roundup Ready, Insurance, Congress

Write Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Toolbox challenges

Around the Industry . . . . . . . . . . . 19Who, what & where it’s happening

— Front Cover —It was, in general, a very good year for sugarbeet production in 2010. See the crop year review beginning on page 4.Western Nebraska was thelocation for this scene.

Photo: Don Lilleboe

THE SUGARBEET GROWER January 2011 3

Page 16

Page 4

Page 12

‘Serving The Nation’s SugarbeetCommunity Since 1963’

Volume 50 Number 1January 2011

Sugar Publications4601 16th Ave. N.Fargo, ND 58102

Phone: (701) 476-2111Fax: (701) 476-2182

E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.sugarpub.com

Publisher:Sugar Publications

General Manager & Editor: Don Lilleboe

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The Sugarbeet Grower is published sixtimes annually (January, February, March,April/May, July/August, November/December)by Sugar Publications, a division of ForumCommunications Printing.

North American sugarbeet producersreceive the magazine on a complimentarybasis. Annual subscription rates are $12.00domestic and $18.00 for foreign subscribers.

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Amalgamated Sugar Company

Much of the Amalgamated crop wasplanted by the middle of April. For thethird spring in a row, we had a diffi-cult time getting a stand establishedbecause of cold weather, wind andmouse problems. Replants were higherthan normal, which also caused lower-than-desired stands in some fields.

The spring and summer were cool,which inhibited growth. Autumnbrought mild temperatures, whichaided in the harvest.

The weed control was excellent.Leafminer problems persisted laterthan normal, and treatment was need-ed in some areas. The sugarbeet rootmaggot showed less pressure andpeaked later because of cold weather.Generally, cyst nematode, curly topand rhizomania were well controlledwith resistant varieties, pesticides andcultural practices.

Generally, the 2010 crop wasreceived in excellent condition becauseof the proper soil moisture and temper-ature conditions. Harvest began onSeptember 14 in the Twin Falls area,September 21 in the Mini-Cassia areaand September 29 in the western partof the cooperative. Beet yields werebelow average, but the tare lab sugarwas above average at 17.33%. —Stacey Camp

American Crystal Sugar Co.

The 2010 cropping season got off tothe earliest start in many, many years.Planting was 96% complete by the endof April. April temperatures weremuch above normal, enabling the cropto germinate and emerge much fasterthan average. Plant populations werethe highest since the cooperative wasformed. Some fields had row closurebefore June 15.

The Drayton factory district experi-enced well-above-normal rainfall inMay, June and early July, causingdrownout and significant crop damage— especially in far northwesternMinnesota. Overall replanted acreswere under 1% for the year.

Growing degree days for May

through August were normal or slight-ly above normal in 2010. Septemberwas very cool, with near-record lowaverage temperatures for the monthslowing growth and lowering sugarcontent.

Pest problems causing greatestcrop loss were root diseases, especiallyrhizoctonia. Aphanomyces severitywas high in northwestern Minnesota.About 4,000 acres had very high inci-dence and severity of root rot and wereabandoned as unfit for long-term stor-age. Root rots limited yield potentialin numerous Red River Valley locales.

Cercospora leafspot reached eco-nomic loss levels in fields in the south-ern part of the Moorhead factory dis-trict. Weather conditions were themost favorable for Cercospora develop-ment in the last 12 to 15 years.Control was very good in most fields,as shareholders applied more fungicidethan in the past several years.

Weed control was good to excellentin almost all fields. Root maggot prob-lems were about average. Springtailscontinue to be observed in more fieldseach year, causing stand reduction andyield loss.

Prepile started August 17 in antici-pation of record yields. This was theearliest startup ever. Sugar contentwas very good for mid-August, andyields were already excellent. The full

2010 Crop Year Review

Reports from All North American Sugarbeet Areas

These pages contain our 24th annual sugarbeet crop summary. All current

North American beet regions are represented by the reports included here.

The Sugarbeet Grower extends our sincere thanks to those individuals listed who submitted the report

for their company.

4 THE SUGARBEET GROWER January 2011

stockpile harvest began on October 1and was completed by October 23.Very warm weather was experiencedduring the first two weeks of harvest,with heat shutdowns being the orderof the day. Shareholders were gratefulfor a dry harvest with almost no rain-fall received until harvest was com-pleted. Tare declined to average levelscompared to record tare percentages in2008 and 2009.

The final average yield was thehighest in American Crystal history at26.3 tons per acre. Sugar loss tomolasses was at a record low, withsugar content averaging just over 18%.— Allan Cattanach

Lantic Inc.

A total of 30,000 acres were con-tracted with Alberta growers for the2010 season. The first beets wereplanted on April 7; but frequent rainand snow showers slowed plantingduring the rest of April, and only 55%of the crop had been planted by May 1.Normally, more than 70% of the crop isseeded by that time.

Significant natural precipitationduring May hampered seeding opera-tions and the first herbicide applica-tions, and a number of fields were notplanted until the end of the month. Inmany cases, sections of fields lay inwater for up to several days as grow-ers battled the elements. Pumping ofwater off fields was a common sightthroughout the growing area.

Several acres ended up being notplanted or abandoned due to the exces-sively wet conditions. Overall, plantstands were rated anywhere from poorto excellent within fields and betweendistricts. In addition, many fields hadto be top-dressed with nitrogen due tosignificant leaching and volatilizationissues.

Weed control was rated as satisfac-tory despite the early season difficul-ties. Control of insects focused mainlyon flea beetles, wireworms and cut-worms.

The remainder of the Alberta grow-ing season was impacted by unseason-ably cool temperatures and the lastingimpact of excessively wet field condi-tions. Several fields did not receive anirrigation application until well intoAugust! Crop development was belowaverage, and a below-average yieldwas anticipated.

The 2010 harvest began onSeptember 9, with factory processingcommencing on the 22nd. Good grow-ing conditions during the month of

September raised hopes that yieldswould move closer to the average.Harvesting of the crop ran verysmoothly, as receiving station operat-ing hours were impacted by the har-vesting of other crops in the area.Maturity of other cops in the rotationwas delayed due to the below-pargrowing season. The final beets weredelivered on November 4.

A total of 573,640 metric tonnes(632,151 short tons) of sugarbeets wereharvested in Alberta in 2010, for anaverage yield of 19 metric tons (21short tons) per acre. Average sugarcontent as measured by the tare labwas 18.6%. — Andrew Llewelyn-Jones

Michigan Sugar Company

The 2010 season in Michigan beganon March 18, and approximately 24%of the crop was sown before the end ofMarch. Starting to plant in mid-March is not that unusual; but havingnearly 40,000 acres in the ground inMarch is very early for us.

The early start was followed bysome very good conditions that allowedus to essentially have our entire cropplanted by the middle of April.

Emergence was good, and there wasonly a 2.1% replant for the year.

We did have some isolated heavyrains that had a negative impact on afew acres; but for the most part, theearly growing season was excellent.The crop was progressing throughoutthe summer, and it appeared to be arecord-setting crop! In August, weexperienced some drier-than-expectedweather conditions, and the tonnagedid slip just a little.

The decision to start beet receivingearly (August 23) was made in antici-pation of a large crop — and before thefour- to five-week dry spell in Augustand early September. This early startin Bay City was a good three weeksearlier than any previous year in ourhistory. September rains eventuallyreplenished some of the moisture, butwe fell just short of a record harvestfor total tons delivered.

In terms of total tonnnage, 2010produced our second largest crop inhistory. Our average yield of 26.07tons per acre was also second to the28.89-ton crop harvested just twoyears ago.

The grower sugar of 18.17% wasright at our three-year average for thecooperative. If we use just the beets



harvested for long-term storage fromOctober 19 through the completion ofharvest, our average sugar was a veryrespectable 18.67%. Clear juice purity(CJP) was a bit lower than the previ-ous two years but still good at 94.76.

We have had a good storage seasonto date; and with the additional venti-lation installed last year, we should beslicing ventilated beets by lateJanuary. Our expected finish date issome time the last week of February.

We had hoped to set new receivingand slice records, but now it appearsthat this will be our second best sea-son in history. This gives us the chal-lenge of setting new records for 2011.The beautiful fall weather last Octoberallowed all growers to have excellentfall tillage, so we are in position tostart the 2011 crop as soon as soil con-ditions allow. — Paul Pfenninger

Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative

Minn-Dak growers began plantingthe 2010 crop in early April due tovery favorable conditions, and 90% ofthe crop was planted by the end of themonth. Planting was completed in lateMay with a total of 115,800 acresplanted. Biotech sugarbeets wereplanted for the third year, ending upon 99.9% of the acreage. Weed control

was very good all season long.Growing conditions during the

months of May, June, July and Augustwere favorable for crop production.Rhizoctonia root rot affected moreacres again this growing season andhas become a significant concern.Crop samples in July indicated a verygood crop in the making. This led tomoving up the preharvest start date toAugust 17, the earliest on record.August samples confirmed an excellentcrop was on the way.

Main harvest began September 30and was rain-free (though interruptedregularly for heat shutdowns). Theharvest was completed on October 21.The 114,500 harvested acres yielded3,108,000 tons of sugarbeets, for anaverage of 27.15 tons. Sugar contentaveraged 16.8%. — Tom Knudsen

Sidney Sugars, Inc.

Crop year 2010 had a good start.We contracted 31,497 acres (and har-vested 31,052). Only 203 acres werereplanted. The Pleasant View districtreceived some hard rains when thebeets were small, causing a yieldreduction at harvest time. Plantingstarted in mid-April and finished bythe middle of May. Plant populationswere good, and timely rains helped thecrop to develop.

Summer temperatures were warmuntil September, which was cool andwet. The crop showed very goodgrowth. The entire acreage was plant-ed to Roundup Ready® beets. Fieldswere clean and free of weeds.

A devastating hail storm hit theFairview area in July, and more than6,000 acres were damaged. Somefields lost more than four tons an acrebecause of the storm. We had manyother areas that were lightly damagedby hail during the summer.

Cercospora leafspot was identifiedduring the summer, and many fieldswere treated a couple times to controlthis disease.

Harvest began on September 28 inthree stations. The rest of the stationsbegan during the first week of October.There were many delays because ofwarm temperatures. Growers harvest-ed at night and whenever conditionsallowed. We took the last beets har-vested on October 24. There was onlyone harvest delay because of rain. Thebeets went into the piles very cleanand weed free. The entire acreage washarvested. The final average yield was27.2 tons per acre, and the final sugarwas 17.72%. — Russ Fullmer

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Southern MinnesotaBeet Sugar Cooperative

The spring of 2010 started off withexcellent weather, allowing SouthernMinn growers to get an early start onplanting. As a result, more than 85%of the crop was planted prior to May 1.Plant stands generally were good, buta few fields were replanted due towind damage.

Weather during much of the grow-ing season was relatively wet through-out much of the growing area. Thisresulted in rhizoctonia root rot beingmore prevalent than in the past.Overall, the crop continued to grow ata rapid pace throughout the summer,requiring us to start our prepile har-vest earlier than ever before.

Prepile harvest at SMBSC beganon August 23. Prepile lasted themonth of September, during whichtime parts of the growing area received

up to three times their normal rainfall.This created a struggle to keep the fac-tory continually supplied with beets.Despite the difficulties, the growersresponded and found ways to keep ussupplied with beets. Fortunately, themonth of October provided very favor-able weather for harvest with only afew delays due to heat.

SMBSC growers ended the 2010crop year by delivering 3,094,801 tonsfrom 114,893 harvested acres, result-ing in an average yield of 26.94 tonsper acre. This is the second largestcrop we have grown at Southern Minn,surpassed only by the 2009 crop. Thesugar content ended the season at16.23%. It was a great crop overall —and one that went into storage in verygood condition. — Todd Geselius

Spreckels Sugar Company, Inc.

Planting of the 2009/10 ImperialValley crop began the first week ofSeptember, with a first irrigation date

of September 5. Temperatures rangedbetween 108-111°F. for the month ofSeptember. Planting got into fullswing by the middle of the month, andthe beets emerged to good stands. Wehad one variety that we had someskippy stands, but for the most partthe stands were good enough to keep.

With the high temperatures, theinsect and weed pressure was high aswell. But the growers were able toclean up the crop and keep the insectsunder control. Birds caused standreductions in some fields in both thesouthern and the northern districts.

October brought somewhat coolertemperatures (90-100°), a lessening ofthe insect pressure, and the bird prob-lem moved to other crops. Stands con-tinued to be good as the later-plantedbeets came up. Herbicides wereapplied and the beet fields were veryclean. Fields with wild beet infesta-tions had crews cleaning them up.

November brought seasonal tem-peratures (ranging from 80 to 94°), andthe crop made good progress. Crewscontinued to clean up fields with wildbeet problems. The early beets beganclosing rows by mid-month, and thecrop had a nice healthy appearance.We did see a few fields with evidenceof rhizomania spots before the temper-atures began cooling down.

December again brought seasonaltemperatures, and the crop progressednicely. Initial root samples were takenthe first of the month and indicatedslightly below average yield and quali-ty. We received over 0.3 inch of rain,which helped the crop and cleaned upthings from all the dust on the leaves.

January brought some rains to thevalley that really helped the crop.Rain amounts for the month came to1.98 inches — well above the areanorm. Temperatures ranged from 64 to76°, just a little above average. TheJanuary root samples responded to thewarm weather and were above averagein yield and average on quality.

February was a little warmer thannormal. We did not get any tempera-tures that dropped to the freezingmark. Root samples for the monthshowed a little above average on yield,while quality was average.

The harvest start date was set atApril 1, 2010, and growers began set-ting their irrigation schedules accord-ingly. We received over 0.5 inch of rainduring March. That month also sawthe early fields begin yellowing up forthe start of harvest. Temperatureswere normal (with a range of 74-88°).Root samples for the month showedaverage yield and quality.


Harvest began, and the yields werea little better than we had expected.Temperatures ranged between 87-95°and the crop was coming into the sta-tion clean and well topped. Yields forthe month averaged 30.27 tons peracre, with sugar content 17.90% andpurity of 88.75%.

May saw temperatures a little cool-er than normal with a range of 95-99°.The crop was still looking very good,coming in clean and well topped.Yields to date had begun to throw thegrowers off their irrigation schedules,and we were beginning to see a fewmore clods come into the station.Yields for the month of May broughtthe to-date average up to 35.99 tons,sugar content to 17.84% and purity to89.13%. The estimate for the 2010crop was raised by one ton, to 42 tons.

June again saw slightly below aver-age temperatures, with a range of 105-107°. The crop was making very goodprogress, and the factory operations tothis point were excellent. Yields forthe month of June brought the to-dateaverage up to 39.66 tons, sugar con-tent to 17.71% and purity to 89.23%.

July temperatures were up around110-112°. The estimate for the overallcrop was again raised by one ton, to 43tons. The crop was continuing to growdespite the high temperatures. Yieldsfor the month of July brought the to-date average to 42.67 tons, sugar con-tent to 17.44% and purity to 88.98%.

August was a “short” month as har-vest was completed on the 10th.Yields finished at 43.91 tons per acre,sugar content at 17.26% and purity at88.71%. August temperatures hit thelast of the crop hard, and we had toleave 96 acres of beets in the groundbecause of quality issues.

We harvested 25,166 acres of beetsfor the year. All in all, we had a verysuccessful sugarbeet harvest in theImperial Valley this year. Thanks toall the growers and factory operationsfor a great year. — Ron Tharp

Western Sugar Cooperative

The 2010 crop year started off coolacross all regions, with the sugarbeetslooking for more heat units. Allregions had a hard freeze the firstweek of May, requiring 35% of theacres in Nebraska, 16% in Colorado,and 13% in Montana to be replanted.Those beet fields that did not need tobe replanted had reduced plant popu-lations from the freeze.

Water supplies for irrigation wereabove average as several reservoirs

had to release water because theywere in the flood stage.

The season had few disease issuesin all growing areas. Growers withsugarbeet cyst nematodes continue toimprove their yields by planting nema-tode-tolerant varieties.

Early harvest began September 7in the northern region (Billings andLovell) and September 21 in the south-ern region (Scottsbluff, Torrington andFort Morgan). Conditions were warmand dry in all areas. The high daytimetemperatures caused a delay in regu-lar harvest in all regions. The hightemperatures required harvesting dur-ing the early morning hours for over aweek and not piling during the day orthe early evenings. Temperaturescooled later in the month, and 95% ofthe crop was harvested by October 31.

Yields in the northern region aver-aged 29.4 tons per acre, with 16.96%

sugar. The southern region averaged25.74 tons with 17.57% sugar.

Sugarbeet processing is scheduledto be complete in early February. —Jerry Darnell

Wyoming Sugar Company

High sugar prices and strongerdemand for sugarbeet acres put usright where we needed to be for our2010 acreage. We found ourselves in anew situation: turning acres awayrather than looking for more.

For the second year in a row, weexperienced a much cooler-than-nor-mal summer with above-normal pre-cipitation. The spring was particularlycool and wet. Even so, most of ourbeets were planted during the periodof April 9-25. We had splendid beetgrowing weather, and we experiencedvery few disease or pest problems. Wedid receive a couple hail storms thataffected fewer than 500 acres, but thesetback to the beets was minimal.

Harvest began on September 20.We had to regulate receiving hoursduring the first 10 days because ofsome warm temperatures. However,once we got into October the tempera-ture cooled off, and other than onestorm the weather stayed cool and dry.After the past few harvests with theirmud, rain and freezing temperatures,we really enjoyed harvest this year.

The beet piles have stored quitewell, and processing has been goingsmoothly. Wyoming Sugar finished upthe year with averages of 17.91%sugar and 28.59 net tons per acre. —Myron Casdorph �


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— Roundup Ready Sugarbeets —

Litigation: On December 21, 2010, the Ninth CircuitCourt of Appeals extended its stay pending appeal ofJudge Jeffrey White’s November 30, 2010, injunctionrequiring the destruction of sugar beet stecklings(seedlings) currently being grown under permits from theU.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and PlantHealth Inspection Service (APHIS). The stecklings areintended for research and breeding purposes, as well asfor basic seed and hybrid seed production for 2012 andfuture years.

The Appeals Court consolidated the permit litigationwith the appeal of Judge White’s August 13, 2010, deci-sion vacating the deregulation of biotech sugarbeets, andexpedited the briefing and hearing schedule so that theappeals can be heard in early February 2011. To allowfor consideration of the appeals, the stay of Judge White’sinjunction has been extended to February 28, 2011, orsuch other time as the Ninth Circuit orders.

The beet sugar industry’s growers, processors, tech-nology providers and seed producers are pleased that theCourt of Appeals will now have sufficient opportunity toconsider relevant legal precedents and unrebutted evi-dence that the planting of these permitted steckling fieldsis authorized by law and would cause no harm. We arehopeful that this expedited appellate process will bringmore certainty to our industry early in 2011.

Administrative Action: Public commenting on the pro-posed options to grow Roundup Ready sugarbeets untilthe Environmental Impact Statement is concluded closedon December 6. Approximately 3,700 comments werefiled with USDA, with the majority (80%) in support ofpartial deregulation. There was broad support from uni-versity scientists, sugarbeet growers, other commoditygroups, organic growers, sugar customers, bankers, localbusinesses and more.

USDA is aggressively processing those comments, andthey will need to publicly respond to any key issuesraised in the submissions. Any final modifications will bemade to the Environmental Assessment, and then theywill announce their decision on how to move forward.

We have made USDA aware of the challenges growersface in making crop decisions for 2011, and we believeUSDA is moving as expeditiously and thoughtfully asthey can. At this time, we cannot speculate as to whatdecision they will make or when they will make it.

— Damaged Cane Crop —

The sub-freezing temperatures in Florida in mid-December damaged sugarcane being harvested and theplant cane that was planted in the fall. Damage assess-ment usually takes some time to evaluate, and it will

likely be late January before accurate assessments can bemade. The domestic sugar industry, customers, and gov-ernment analysts are watching this closely to see theimpact on domestic supplies and stocks. With productionand inventories stockpiled early in the year, there is timeto react to weather problems once all the factors are ade-quately assessed.

— Crop Insurance —

The initial price election has been established at$41.50 per ton ($43 in California) by USDA’s RiskManagement Agency for the 2011 crop. We clearlybelieve that the price is too low. As in the past threeyears, we have taken our case to the administrator ofRMA, asking that the estimate be revised upward. Thatprocess is currently underway again this year, and a finaldecision by RMA will be made in mid-February.

— Congressional Reorganization —

House Republicans are slowly organizing committeesand assignments; the Democrats will wait until lists are“official” on January 5. Former Ag Committee chairmanCollin Peterson of Minnesota will become ranking mem-ber. The new committee chairman, Frank Lucas ofOklahoma, has announced there will be 16 freshmenmembers on the committee. None are from beet areas,and only one freshman is from a beet state (Colorado).One new member is from a non-cane area of Florida.

Republicans leaving the House Ag Committee forother assignments are: Jerry Moran (KS, moving to theSenate), Sam Graves (MO), Mike Rogers (AL), AdrianSmith (NE, moving to Ways and Means), David Poe (TN),Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO), Bill Cassidy (LA) and CynthiaLummis (WY, moving to Appropriations).

Chairman of the Subcommittee on General FarmCommodities and Risk Management will be MichaelConaway of Texas. Jurisdiction is over programs andmarkets related to sugar, cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feedgrains, soybeans, oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, lentils,the CCC, and risk management, including crop insur-ance, commodity exchanges, and other specialty crops.Congressman Conaway is a strong leader and knowledge-able about sugar. We look forward to continuing to workclosely with him in the years ahead.

In the Senate, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) will becomechair of the Agriculture Committee. If, as expected, cur-rent ranking member Saxby Chambliss (GA) steps downto become ranking on the Select Committee onIntelligence, Sen. Pat Roberts (KS) is likely to becomeranking on Ag. Sen. Chambliss is expected to remain onthe Ag Committee. No other committee assignments hadbeen made official as of the end of December. �

Dateline:Washington

By

Luther Markwart

Executive

Vice President

American

Sugarbeet

Growers Assn.


Root maggots, springtails on 2011sugarbeet insect watch list

Control tradeoffsWarnings about challenging insect populations will focusdecisions on how to control critical insects in the monthsahead.

On one side of the decision equation are superiorperformance and lower cost with soil insecticides. On theother: the planting-timing convenience of seed treatments.

Boetel says the best choice isn’t clear-cut at lower insectpressures. But when root maggot pressures are high, soilinsecticides tend to perform better and deliver more dollarsto the bottom line.

A three-year NDSU study published last year showedthat under moderately high root maggot pressure, yield and

sucrose recovery from Counter® insecticide treatmentswere significantly higher than from seed treatments.

Bottom-line gross returns from a high labeled rate ofCounter were $155/acre better than the top seed treatment.“Growers in the heavily infested areas often use a moreaggressive approach at planting with a granular soilinsecticide,” he says. “Generally in our research we haveseen that the granular materials are more efficacious forroot maggot under heavy infestations.”

In areas with heavy infestations, Boetel recommendscoming back with an in-season postemergenceinsecticide treatment timed for peak fly activity, regardlessof the planting-time treatment.

Growers opt forCounterFor David Benedict and GlenHultin, NDSU research onsugarbeet root maggots andspringtails confirmed theirdecision to rely on Countersoil insecticide to controlbeet insects.

“When you need a gun,you might as well get thebiggest gun you can—that’s what we’ve got withCounter for root maggots, springtails and wireworm,”says Benedict, who farms near Sabin, MN. “Counter isthe only at-planting treatment that will take onspringtails. The seed treatments aren’t as good.I don’t want to dive off that cliff.”

Hultin, who farms nearHillsboro, ND, remembershaving fields devastated byroot maggots in the early1990s—and relies onCounter to avoid that experi-ence again. “I rememberharvesting 8 tons/acre inone field,” he says. “For me,using Counter is a no-brainer. It is cheaper andit is better.”

Both Benedict and Hultin have outfitted theirJohn Deere central-fill planters with the electronicallycontrolled SmartBox® closed handling and applicationsystem. “The closed system is two thumbs up,”Benedict says. “It puts out the proper amount nomatter how fast you go.”

With Counter’s new 20G formulation, Hultin canplant about 200 acres of beets with his 24-rowplanter before refilling—typically one fill per day.Benedict’s 36-row system covers about 300 acresbefore refilling.

The Counter 20G formulation, which is availablefor Lock ‘N Load® and SmartBox application systems,improves planting-time efficiency by covering 33%more acres per fill than the previous 15G formulation,points out Elton Hendrickson, technical salesrepresentative for AMVAC Chemical Corp.

For more information on Counter 20G Insecticide andthe SmartBox System, contact Elton Hendrickson [email protected] or call 701-741-5608.

Counter, Lock ‘N Load and SmartBox are registered trademarks ofAMVAC Chemical Corporation.

Don’t bet on 2011 being a repeat ofthe seemingly mild year for sugar-beet insects that occurred in the

Red River Valley in 2010. That’s the advicefrom Dr. Mark Boetel, research and exten-sion entomologist at North Dakota StateUniversity (NDSU).There’s a good chance that sugarbeet

root maggots will be back in force in 2011.The growing problem with springtails isn’t likely to go away, either. As inmost years, wireworms will be a threat to sugarbeet production, too.In reality, the 2010 root maggot infestation was worse than many

growers realize, says Boetel. Evidence of the infestation was covered up

by frequent rains, which allowed beets tocompensate for feeding damage.“This could be a sleeper situation,”

he says. “Fly counts and fall root ratingssuggest that there are plenty of rootmaggots out there to over-winter andinfest the crop in 2011.”Projected high-risk areas for root maggot

infestations in 2011 include Auburn,Glasston, Grafton, Nash and St. Thomas, all in North Dakota. Areas withprojected moderate risk include Cavalier, Minto, Manvel, Oakwood,Reynolds and Thompson, in North Dakota, and Ada, Borup and Euclid,in Minnesota.

New springtail researchSoil insecticides also have a leg upon seed treatments for control ofspringtails. NDSU rates Counterinsecticide as “Excellent” againstspringtails, while seed treatmentproducts get a “Good” rating.

A new three-year NDSU studybears that out that difference.The study showed that at highspringtail pressures, a low labeledrate of Counter insecticideproduced the highest grosseconomic return, $1,012/acre –$105/acre higher than thebest-performing seed treatment.

“Springtails are more difficultto predict than root maggots,”adds Boetel. “In the past 10 years,with wetter springs, springtailshave become more of a regularissue on heavy soils conduciveto their buildup.”

David Benedict Glen Hultin

— Advertisement —

USDA’s December projection of Mexico sugar production forthe 2010/11 marketing year was increased 200,000 metric

tons, raw value (MTRV) over the November forecast. The fig-ure is now 5.64 million MTRV, exceeding last year’s produc-tion by more than 500,000 MTRV.

Based on analysis of recently released production forecastsin Mexico, USDA expects the sugarcane area there to increase3.6% over that of last year, to 673,104 hectares (about 1.66million acres) — and also expects sugar yields to increase by5.6% to 7.912 tons (actual weight) per hectare.

Increased sugar supply is forecast to expand Mexico’sexportable surplus on a one-to-one basis. Exports are nowforecast at 1.138 million MTRV— most of which, if not all, isexpected to enter the United States.

Projected fiscal year (FY) 2011 U.S. sugar supply wasincreased in USDA’s December Sugar & Sweeteners Outlookreport by 232,000 short tons, raw value (STRV) from that ofNovember, mostly due to the above-described increase inimports from Mexico (about 220,000 STRV). Cane sugar pro-duction in Florida was reduced by 20,000 STRV to 1.7 millionSTRV because of lower projected sugar recovery from cane.

Beginning stocks were increased 2,000 STRV due torevised ending stocks reported for FY 2010. Total use isunchanged. Deliveries for human consumption are forecast at10.875 million STRV, about the same as last year. �

2v THE SUGARBEET GROWER (Upper Midwest) January 2011

USDA Projects U.S. &Mexican Sugar Supply

Beginning StocksProductionBeet SugarCane SugarFloridaHawaiiLouisianaTexas

ImportsTRQ**Other ProgramOtherMexicoTotal Supply

ExportsDeliveriesFoodOther

MiscellaneousTotal Use

Ending Stocks

Stocks-to-Use Ratio

1,6647,5324,2143,3181,577192

1,397152

3,0821,370308

1,4041,402

12,278

13610,60810,442

1660

10,7441,534

14.3

1,5347,9674,5753,3921,638161

1,481112

3,3181,854450

1,014807

12,819

21111,10510,869

2360

11,3161,503

13.3

1,5018,2304,8003,4301,720170

1,400140

2,7441,409300

1,0351,025

12,475

15011,06010,875

1850

11,2101,265

11.3

1,5038,2104,8003,4101,700170

1,400140

2,9941,409300

1,2851,245

12,707

15011,06010,875

1850

11,2101,497

13.4

U.S. Sugar Supply & Use*World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimate (WASDE) / Dec. 2010

2010/11 ProjectionItem 2008/09 2009/10 (Est.) Nov. Dec.

- - - - - 1,000 Short Tons, Raw Value - - - - -

* Fiscal years beginning October 1.** For 2010/11, includes shortfall of 60,000 tons.

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AgCountry Farm Credit Servicesis proud to serve the Red River Valleysugarbeet growers and processors.

We thank you for your contributionsand commitment to agriculture.

Corporate Office • (701) 282-9494 or toll free 800-450-8933 • www.agcountry.com

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The toolbox on my tractorHas a little tray.

So I can take with things I need,Or just think I may.

I’m sure it was intendedWhen it was brand new,

To hold a set of wrenchesPerhaps a pliers or two.

A set of sockets all laid out In a nice straight row,

With a crescent wrench and hammerIn the space below.

The engineer who drew it up, I’m quite sure had no thought,

That it should hold most every toolI have ever bought.

As field work starts out in the spring,The box is pretty neat.

And finding just the tool I needIs really quite a treat.

Then as the grain drill finds some junkLeft from that old fence line,

The toolbox starts to gain some weight;That’s not a real good sign.

Soon we start to cultivateAnd then begin to spray.

With each job different kinds of scrapPile up inside the tray.

Shear bolts from the combineAre pretty hard to tell,

From ones that fit the ditcherAnd the snow blower as well.

Beet harvest brings a challengeTo slip in an extra part,

That I may need to fix a truckWhen it just won’t start.

Some 60 chain, a scalper knife,Perhaps an extra flail.

’Til squeezing in just one more thingHas no way but to fail.

I can’t get to the bottomTo find the wrench I need.

I planted scrap iron in the springAnd now it’s gone to seed.

Life is like that toolbox,Some times too filled with stuff.

So take some time this winter,Clean out the worthless stuff.

My Toolbox Runneth Over

WriteField By David Kragnes

David Kragnes farms near Felton, Minn.He is a former chairman of AmericanCrystal Sugar Co., and currently serveson the board of directors of CoBank.


The handsome youngman at left is three-year-old Caleb Rutherford,whose parents, Roy andLaura, farm near Grafton,N.D. The photo wastaken during this pastfall’s Red River Valleybeet harvest.

“If Caleb chooses tofarm when he grows up,he will be a third-genera-tion sugarbeet grower,”Laura writes.

Caleb has two broth-ers — Ian, who is four,and Logan, two months.

Our thanks to theRutherfords for sharingthis delightful photo!

The Future Face ofSugarbeets

Plan Now to Attend the 49th

International Sugarbeet Institute

March 16 & 17Fargodome Fargo, N.D.

North America’s LargestSugarbeet Trade Show!

Stale seedbeds — wherein fields aretilled in the fall and then left

untouched the following spring untilthe planter rolls in — have reallycaught on in Michigan the past severalyears. Nearly one-fourth of the state’ssugarbeet fields were planted into astale seedbed this past season, com-pared to probably less than 5% justthree or four years ago.

Clay Crumbaugh is a longtimemember of the stale-seedbed fraternity.He, wife Christine and father Rex, whofarm in the Breckenridge-St. Louisvicinity, have been planting beets intoa stale seedbed for the past 15 years.They began doing so on half theiracreage and within three years hadexpanded the practice to 100% of theirupcoming beet ground.

More recently, however, theCrumbaughs have diverted some oftheir sugarbeet acreage into zone(strip) till. And it all began with a2007 corn field.

Crumbaugh sugarbeets traditional-

ly have followed soybeans in theirrotation. That year, however, “weneeded to figure out a way to raisesugarbeets after corn on a field ortwo,” Clay recounts. “We’d really beensold on the stale seedbed and liked it;

but our question was, ‘How do you pre-pare a stale seedbed with all this cornfodder?’ I couldn’t imagine chisel plow-ing the corn stalks and then trying tofield cultivate and prepare a staleseedbed on that field.

“We’d heard about zone tilling.And since we liked our general staleseedbed, we thought, ‘Well, let’s see ifwe can prepare a ‘stale seedbed withina strip.’ ” They pulled their BrillionZone Commander strip-till unit intothe 160-acre field right on the heels ofthe corn combine, creating the tilledzones between the rows of corn stalks.The field sat untouched until the beetplanter came through in the spring of2008. (See photo on page 14.)

The results off that first field weregood enough to persuade theCrumbaughs to expand their zone-tillexperiment. As of 2010, about halftheir beet acreage was produced undera zone-till system.

As yet, the Crumbaughs have notapplied fertilizer during the fall zone-till pass. They maintain good N, P andK levels via broadcasting. In season,about half the beet crop’s additionalnitrogen needs go on dry 2x2 with theplanter; the other half is 28% liquid,banded on with the field sprayer afterplanting. Clay is considering applyingP and K in the fall with the zone-tillunit, but has not yet taken that step.

How have the Crumbaugh zone-tilled beets compared, in yield andquality, with those produced under astale-seedbed system? They’re verysimilar. A Michigan SugarbeetAdvancement trial was conducted onthe Crumbaugh Gratiot County farmin 2009, comparing single-pass zonetill with a two-pass stale seedbedapproach (disk chisel followed by fieldcultivator). Other inputs (fertilizer,weed control, fungicides) were identi-cal. In the end, there were no signifi-cant differences in any of the meas-ured parameters: final population (30days after planting), tons per acre, per-cent sugar, pounds sugar per ton andper acre, or revenue per acre.

So what’s the benefit of zone-tilledbeets for the Crumbaughs?

Single-pass seedbed preparation isa big one. Clay estimates he savesabout $8 per acre in tillage costs ascompared to the two-pass approach.Another advantage comes duringinclement fall weather. “If we’re chiselplowing and get rained on, we’re ‘up acreek’ trying to get our secondarytillage done,” he says. “With the zonetiller, once we’ve made that pass, we’redone.”

Crumbaugh is adamant about cre-

Stale SeedbedWithin a Strip

Crumbaughs Among Handful of Michigan Growers Employing Zone Till in Sugarbeets


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Clay Crumbaugh

CRYSTAL SUGARBEET SEED distributed by: ACH Seeds Inc. 1.877.224.7333 Crystal Beet Seed 1.218.236.4788

ating perfect or near-perfect zones —including guess row spacing — for thenext spring’s planter. “Placing theseed over the cut is important,” hestates. The issue takes on an addeddimension since their Brillion worksjust five 30-inch rows, while their

planter is 12 rows and the harvester,six rows. RTK guidance is hugelyimportant; and along with it, the cor-rect ballast and tire pressure on theirJD 8330. The GPS receiver on the8330 gets shuffled over to other trac-tors from time to time, “so every time

we switch a receiver, we calibrate —on our level shop floor with all tires atthe correct pressure,” Clay stresses.

Another appealing aspect of zonetilling, he adds, is that “once we’vedone that tillage pass, we don’t touchthose zones again.” With a staleseedbed approach, “we do that primarytillage with the chisel plow — andthen we drive all over again with thefield cultivator.”

Protecting young beets from springwinds is another key consideration.“Zone tilling offers more protectionfrom wind erosion than does the staleseedbed,” Clay observes.

Might the Crumbaugh farm’s sug-arbeet acreage eventually be 100%zone till? It’s possible, but Clay is notrushing headlong in that direction.“We like to do things on a ‘crawl-walk-run’ basis,” he explains. “We’rebetween a ‘walk’ and a ‘run’ right now.So we’ll do as much as we can on anyfield where we think we might havesuccess with zone tilling.”

Clay hopes to have even moreanswers following the 2011 growingseason, as he’ll be conducting anotherlarge-scale side-by-side comparison ofzone-till versus stale-seedbed sugar-beets. — Don Lilleboe �

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Finding a satisfactory system for producing reduced-tillage beets on corn groundwas the catalyst for the Crumbaughs’ entry into zone till. This is the ’08 beet field.


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Committed to InnovationAmity Technology has a long history in the sugar beet industry. Our commitment to farming shows in the breakthrough technology we’ve developed to make farming more productive – cutting producers’ costs and increasing yields.

Our dedication to farming and the sugar beet industry goes back more than 70 years to Amity founders Howard and Brian Dahl’s grandfather, E. G. Melroe, founder of Melroe Manufacturing Company in 1947. One of Melroe’s first manufactured implements was the harrow weeder – widely used by sugar beet farmers in the early days.

The Dahl family was also involved in the transition of Farmhand to WIC, now Amity Technology. The Amity sugar beet equipment line is the leader in sugar beet harvesting equipment in North America and also has a strong presence in Eastern Europe.

Amity Technology will always strive to bring the latest in sugar innovation to producers throughout the United States.

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Turkey is the largest beet sugar producer in the MiddleEast and fifth largest beet sugar producer in the world,ranking only behind France, Germany, the United Statesand Russia. With a population approaching 75 million,Turkey also is a significant sugar consumer. The sugar sec-tor is highly regulated and subsidized, but this will changein the coming years when Turkey accedes to the EuropeanUnion and adopts the EU sugar policies.

Production Based on Quota SystemAccording to the nation’s Sugar Law established in 2001,

up to 2008/09 Turkey’s sugar production quota was set at2.34 million (metric) tons, although actual year-to-year pro-duction was dependent on area planted, the level of inputuse and growing conditions. For 2008/09, the productionquota was raised to 2.4 million tons, but actual productionwas only 2.1 million tons. It was raised again to 2.44 mil-lion tons in 2009/10, with actual production reaching 2.53million tons that year.

Of total 2009/10 production, 1.53 million tons were fromstate-owned and privately owned plants, and 1.0 milliontons came from cooperative sugar plants (Pankobirlik). For2010/11, reflecting high yields the year before and excesssupply, the quota was reduced to 2.20 million tons; but actu-al production is expected to be 2.4 million tons. According

to industry sources, Turkey’s total sugar production capaci-ty is 3.2 million metric tons.

The “A” production quota is determined annually by theSugar Board, with oversight by the Ministry of Industryand Trade, according to domestic sugar consumption needs.The Sugar Board has seven members: four government offi-cials and one representative each from the state-ownedTurkish Sugar Corporation (TSC), Pankobirlik (the produc-er cooperative) and starch-based sweetener producers. Thequota distributed to state and private companies is basedon their performance during the previous three years. Inturn, farmers contract with beet refineries to process theiroutput at a set procurement volume and price.

There also is a “B” quota, which is a small amount pro-duced as a margin. Lastly, there is a “C” quota, which con-sists of production that can not be marketed domestically.The “C” quota sugar is sold at world prices and is only uti-lized in sugar-containing products that are exported.

There are 33 sugarbeet refineries in Turkey and sixstarch-based sweetener producers. The state-owned sectorowns 25 of the sugarbeet refineries, while the remainingeight are privately owned. Many of the state-owned facto-ries operated by TSC were opened in areas with high unem-ployment, and the government has further supported thestate sector with high procurement prices.

Production TrendsSugarbeets are produced mainly in the Central

Anatolian region of Turkey, with the leading producingprovinces being Konya, Eskisehir and Atyon. (See map onnext page.) Harvested area has averaged 340,000 hectares(about 840,000 acres) annually over the past decade. Areain 2010/11 is expected to contract down to 300,000 hectaresdue to the decreased production quotas and the highamount of carry-in stocks to the new year.

The Sugar Board estimated the number of sugarbeetfarms in 2008 at 209,000 and placed it at 187,937 in 2009.While the number of beet farms has decreased, yields haveincreased because of the use of more-modern agricultural


Middle East Nation Is

The World’s 5th Largest Beet SugarProducer

By Peter Buzzanell*

* Peter Buzzanell is director of Virginia-based PeterBuzzanell, LLC. Prior to his retirement from USDA, he washead of the Sugar & Sweetener Analysis Unit at that agency’sEconomic Research Service. The author wishes to thank theoffice of USDA’s agricultural counselor in Istanbul for itsassistance in preparing this article.

Editor’s Note: Peter Buzzanell also authored the article inThe Sugarbeet Grower’s November/December 2010 issuetitled “EU-27 Beet Sugar Industry: Charting a New Course.”Due to a printing error, his name was inadvertently omitted.

Sugarbeets in Turkey

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technologies, including irrigation. For 2009/10,beet yields were at record 53 metric tons perhectare (the approximate equivalent of 23.6short tons per acre), compared with the previ-ous nine-year annual average of 41 tons (about18.3 short tons per acre).

According to Pankobirlik, the sugarbeet producers’ coop-erative, beet yields during the past five years have variedbetween 38 and 52 tons per hectare, depending on regionand weather conditions. In contrast, in the Konya region,yields have been running between 55 and 60 tons perhectare, reflecting that region’s use of better machinery,irrigation and improved crop husbandry.

Sugarbeets in Turkey are generally grown in a three- orfour-year rotation with cereals, pulses, fodder crops andsunflower. Planting begins in February and continuesthrough May, with the harvest from late July to November.

For marketing year 2009/10 (Sept.-Aug.), Turkish sugar-beet production was the highest in nine years, owing tofavorable weather conditions and expanded harvested area.Total harvested area was 324,000 hectares, yielding an esti-mated 17.27 million metric tons of beets. Beet sugar pro-duction for 2009/10 was 2.53 million tons. The forecast for2010/11 is 14.0 million tons of beets yielding 2.4 milliontons of beet sugar — a reflection of reduced area and more-normal weather conditions.

Consumption ExpandingThe state-owned Turkish Sugar Corporation and private

producers, wholesalers and retailers handle the marketingof sugar. Industry sources place consumption of sugar at2.8 million metric tons, well above the amount of sugar pro-duced. With a population of 72.5 million (75% of which isurban), an estimated 38-kilograms-per-person use rate anda population growth rate of 1.3%, Turkish sugar consump-tion is trending upward. To meet demand, out-of-quotasugar is sourced from across Turkey’s southern border.

According to Turkish law, the maximum amount ofsugar a “passenger” or “tourist” can bring across the border

is 75 kilograms; but some “passengers” crossthe border several times a day and bring 75kilograms each time. This adds up to an esti-mated 200,000 tons per year and is supple-mented by sizeable smuggling operations from

countries on Turkey’s southern border, most notably Syria.Beet molasses — the byproduct of sugarbeet processing

— is used in animal feed and in the production of yeast andalcohol. A small quantity is sold to neighboring countries.

Trade Continues To Be Small Owing to the high internal price of sugar and the lack of

export subsidies, Turkey’s sugar exports are small — anestimated 40,000 metric tons in 2009/10 and 2010/11.Azerbaijan is the primary destination. Manufacturers ofsugar-containing products for export can buy “C” quota

The SUGARBEET GROWER January 2011 17

Turkey’s Sugar Supply & Demand, 2000/01-2010/11

Sept.-Aug.

2000/012001/022002/032003/042004/052005/062006/072007/082008/092009/102010/11*

Production

2,7561,7962,3451,9152,1092,1751,9801,7002,1002,5312,400

Imports

21110005555

Exports

8263781502322525301054040

Consumption

1,9501,8501,9001,9301,9602,0002,0002,0002,0002,5002,800

- - - - 1,000 Metric Tons, Raw Value - - - -

* Projected Source: USDA

Above: Striped/shadedprovinces on this map ofTurkey denote the areasof sugarbeet production.

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sugar at world prices. “C” quota sugar has been selling for$594 per metric ton (27 cents/lb), whereas “A” quota sugaris selling for $1,310 per ton (59 cents/lb). Manufacturers canalso import sugar duty-free for the products used for export.

In the early 2000s, to minimize the cost of maintaininglarge inventories, the TSC began exporting large quantitiesof sugar. The significant difference between domestic beetsugar producer prices and world market prices resulted inhuge losses, which were supported by the Turkish Treasury.These subsidized exports were ended in accordance withTurkey’s economic reform program and IMF agreement.

The tariff rate on sugar imports is 135%, and the volumeof imports is negligible. Though Turkey has a trade agree-ment with Bosnia-Herzegovina that allows duty-freeimports of sugar, there is no significant volume of sugartrade between the two countries. Duties on sugar-contain-ing-product imports such as candies and chocolates varybetween 8.3 and 15.4%.

Policy Initiatives UnderwayCurrently, there is also an effort in Turkey to find new

uses for sugarbeets, mainly bio-ethanol. The Konya SugarCompany has built an ethanol plant at Cumra. This is thefirst and only ethanol factory in Turkey. Ethanol produc-

tion started in 2007, and the plant has the capacity toprocess 800,000 tons of beets annually and produce 80,000cubic meters of ethanol.

In response to pressure from the IMF and the EU, theTurkish government has initialed a privatization program.Three government-owned refineries were privatized in 2004and 2005: Kutahya, Adapazari and Aksaray. Three others— Ilgin, Bor and Eregli — were to be privatized in 2006,but there were no bids by the private sector, reflecting thelow capacity of those three factories.

In 2007 the privatization efforts for the governmentrefiners was transferred to the Privatization Administra-tion. In 2008 the Privatization Administration released alist of factories by group:

A — Kars, Ercis, Agri, Mus and ErzurumB — Elazig, Malatya, Erzincan and ElbistanC — Kastamonu, Kirsehir, Turhal, Yozgat, Corum and

CarsambaD — Bor, Ergli and IlginE — Usak, Alpulu, Burdur and AfyonF — Eskisehir and AnkaraThe factories in group A, located in eastern Turkey, did

not get any bids from the private sector in 2008, reflectingtheir low capacities and inefficient operations. The biddingprocess was again canceled in 2009.

TSC factories are widely known to be plagued with pro-duction inefficiencies and old technology. However, anti-pri-vatization spokesmen assert that once these plants are pri-vatized, only a few profitable refineries will survive and therest will be shut down, causing a spike in unemployment.

In the long run, the government expects the sugar sec-tor to become more efficient once privatization is completed.Currently, sugar prices in Turkey are far above world pricesbecause of government protection and outdated technologyin the state-owned plants.

Turkey plans to join the EU in 2014. As a result of join-ing the EU, the Turkish government plans to bring itssugar polices more in line with the new sugar policies of theEU — including a drop in sugarbeet procurement prices.

Turkey’s aim is to adopt the EU’s basic system of nationlaw and regulations. Implementing elements of the EUregime will be difficult — especially the foreseen spike inrural unemployment. However, their adoption will make asignificant contribution to modernizing the agricultural sec-tor and the nation’s entire economy. �


Above: A sugarbeet processing plant in Konya, one of themain beet-producing provinces of Turkey.

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American SugarbeetGrowers Association

2011 Annual Meeting

February 6-8Westin La Paloma

Tucson, Ariz.

— For Details —www.americansugarbeet.org

Monopill SE sugar beet planters Plant your seed more effectively -precise seed spacing and placement -optimal spacing for higher yields -reduce seed use and technology user fees -robust yet light weight, low horsepower for early planting -population adjustment as you plant -individual row control

Ropa North America 1- 519-786-3025 www. ropanorthamerica.com or e-mail: [email protected]

http://www.americansugarbeet.org

Michigan/Ontario ResearchReporting Session is Jan. 27

The 2010 Michigan/OntarioSugarbeet Research Reporting Sessionis scheduled for January 27 at theDoubletree Hotel/Conference Center inBay City. This fifth annual reportingsession will cover current sugarbeetresearch being conducted in the GreatLakes region. More than a dozenresearch updates will be presented.

Registration is required for thereporting session. For more informa-tion, contact the Michigan StateUniversity Extension Service,Saginaw, at (989) 758-2500.

Betaseed Restructures Company’s R&D Organization

Betaseed recently restructured thecompany’s research and developmentorganization to support key strategicinitiatives.

Jay Miller was promoted to directorof breeding and product management.In this new role, Miller provides corpo-rate leadership for all North Americanresearch, breeding and product man-agement activities. Miller’s teamincludes four plant breeders, plantpathologists, product management andtechnical specialists.

Miller has been at Betaseed over 25years in various roles, including plantbreeding, station management andproduct management. He continues towork directly with KWS SAAT Ag,Einbeck, Germany, providing innova-tive, relevant technologies and geneticsto North American markets.

Steve Kober was named to thenewly created position of director ofstations for Betaseed. In this role, heprovide leadership to station managersat Shakopee and Moorhead, Minn.,and Kimberly, Idaho, and to station

personnel in implementing team-basedbreeding and field work supportingcorporate initiatives.

Kober has been at Betaseed for 20years in various roles, including prod-uct management and breeding. Hecontinues to work with KWS SAAT Agin implementing new trial protocolsand innovative farming technologies.

Voss Is New Plant Breeder atBetaseed’s Kimberly Station

Betaseed has named Dr. Hans-Henning Voss as plant breeder at itsWestern Sugarbeet Research Center inKimberly, Idaho.Voss will be respon-sible for the curlytop and Genuity®

Roundup Ready®

breeding programs.Since March

2010, Voss has beena participant of theKWS SAAT Ag’sBreeders Academyprogram at the Kimberly station. Hiseducation includes an M.S. degree inagricultural sciences from the Georg-August-University in Gottingen,Germany, as well as a Ph.D. from theState Plant Breeding Institute at theUniversity of Hohenheim in Germany.He most recently worked as head ofwheat breeding, as well as assisted inhybrid rye breeding, at DieckmannSeeds, Nienstadt, Germany.

Winners of Poncho Beta 2010‘Sweeter World Sweepstakes’

Poncho® Beta seed-applied insecti-cide made for a sweeter world in 2010with a strong start to a great crop.Now, after the harvest, five growersare enjoying even more of the sweetlife with winnings from the SweeterWorld Sweepstakes.

Kevin Olmstead from Grafton,N.D., won the grand prize trip for twoto the 2011 American SugarbeetGrowers Association annual meeting inTucson, Ariz. The package includesconference registration, roundtrip air-fare, hotel accommodations for fivenights and a spa or golf day.

In addition to the grand prize win-

ner, four first-place winners won a newApple iPad®. The iPads come WiFienabled, so growers can access theiremail, go to websites for weather andcommodity prices, and update farmrecords from the field. The first-placewinners are: Kurt Aakre fromKarlstad, Minn., James Fanfulik ofEast Grand Forks, Minn., RonaldJensen from Stephen, Minn., andDavid Marchbanks of Parma, Idaho.

The Sweeter World Sweepstakes isa demonstration of how Poncho Betaprovides more to growers, says BayerCropScience. Growers had the oppor-tunity to enter the Sweeter WorldSweepstakes online for three monthsfrom August 2 to October 31. Morethan 325 growers entered, learnedabout Poncho Beta and enhanced theirsugarbeet knowledge online.

ASSBT Biennial Meeting SetFor March 2-5 in Albuquerque

The 35th general meeting of theAmerican Society of Sugar BeetTechnologists is scheduled for March2-5, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency inAlbuquerque, N. Mex.

The event begins on the 2nd withregistration and an evening reception.A general session is held on the morn-ing of the 3rd, followed by technicalsessions that afternoon and through-out the next two days. The 2011ASSBT meeting concludes with thetraditional awards banquet on theevening of the 5th.

Complete meeting information canbe obtained at www.bsdf-assbt.org orby calling ASSBT at (303) 832-4460.

2011 Sugarbeet Institute TakesPlace March 16 & 17 in Fargo

The 49th International SugarbeetInstitute will be on March 16 and 17,2011, at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.This annual event is North America’slargest sugarbeet trade show.

Companies desiring exhibitinginformation for the 2011 ISBI shouldcontact Bob Cournia, exhibits coordi-nator, at (218) 281-4681. Other ISBI-related questions should be directed toDr. Mohamed Khan, committee chair-man, at (701) 231-8596. �

Around The Industry


Jay Miller Steve Kober

Hans-Henning Voss

jan 2011 - the sugarbeet grower magazine

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