Sugar beet yields

We are going to have a reasonable surplus this year due to how our acreages for break crop land worked out. Am I right in thinking that BS are paying between £5 and £10 for surplus beet this time round? If so I may have some stock feed available!
 

Sonoftheheir

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
West Suffolk
Well all the beet have finally gone!:eek::)

A very marked difference in yield in the fields.

One field drilled by ourselves in black Fen soil at 45cm rows was the top performer at 106.4t/ha adj.

And one drilled at 50cm by a contractor in heavyish clay/silt/black did 78.73t/ha adj

Overall 88.47t/ha adj, best year for dirt tare too.

Sugars ranged from 16.98-18.06 average.

Had just over 80t of C quota.

Can definitely say we lost some sugar in the heap due to re- growth. May well have to revise the thinking of having all up in a heap in November if they’re going to be in a clamp till February!

I am wondering if BS did the haulage would they take them in quicker? My haulier (2 lorries) only had 3 permits some days.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Well all the beet have finally gone!:eek::)

A very marked difference in yield in the fields.

One field drilled by ourselves in black Fen soil at 45cm rows was the top performer at 106.4t/ha adj.

And one drilled at 50cm by a contractor in heavyish clay/silt/black did 78.73t/ha adj

Overall 88.47t/ha adj, best year for dirt tare too.

Sugars ranged from 16.98-18.06 average.

Had just over 80t of C quota.

Can definitely say we lost some sugar in the heap due to re- growth. May well have to revise the thinking of having all up in a heap in November if they’re going to be in a clamp till February!

I am wondering if BS did the haulage would they take them in quicker? My haulier (2 lorries) only had 3 permits some days.
I very much doubt that BS in general could do any better but I don’t like saying this but you may be better with a bigger haulier. Also why not lift later? Because black land more likely to freeze? Easy to get out in the wet though
 

Sonoftheheir

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
West Suffolk
@flat10 We would normally want all the beet out by Christmas, this year the A1101 was being closed for re surfacing at different times so we thought we’d better get the beet out while the contractor was near us. On average we’d have him here for the final lift 2nd/3rd wk in Dec. The weather was still dry at the time so there’s that to factor in too.

We don’t like spring drilling after beet as it seems to dry out so much that you don’t get a good germination and it struggles. Rather get winter wheat in before Christmas.
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
I very much doubt that BS in general could do any better but I don’t like saying this but you may be better with a bigger haulier. Also why not lift later? Because black land more likely to freeze? Easy to get out in the wet though
I concur.
It would get taken when they wanted (which is their prerogative)
Likely as not a fleet of lorries all at once (can your yard cope with that? We struggle with one lorry here :rolleyes:)
 

Honest john

Member
Location
Fenland
Well all the beet have finally gone!:eek::)

A very marked difference in yield in the fields.

One field drilled by ourselves in black Fen soil at 45cm rows was the top performer at 106.4t/ha adj.

And one drilled at 50cm by a contractor in heavyish clay/silt/black did 78.73t/ha adj

Overall 88.47t/ha adj, best year for dirt tare too.

Sugars ranged from 16.98-18.06 average.

Had just over 80t of C quota.

Can definitely say we lost some sugar in the heap due to re- growth. May well have to revise the thinking of having all up in a heap in November if they’re going to be in a clamp till February!

I am wondering if BS did the haulage would they take them in quicker? My haulier (2 lorries) only had 3 permits some days.

2018 had been kind to you.
Best Wheat, Potato, & Beet performance.
Very well done.
 

Honest john

Member
Location
Fenland
Well all the beet have finally gone!:eek::)

A very marked difference in yield in the fields.

One field drilled by ourselves in black Fen soil at 45cm rows was the top performer at 106.4t/ha adj.

And one drilled at 50cm by a contractor in heavyish clay/silt/black did 78.73t/ha adj

Overall 88.47t/ha adj, best year for dirt tare too.

Sugars ranged from 16.98-18.06 average.

Had just over 80t of C quota.

Can definitely say we lost some sugar in the heap due to re- growth. May well have to revise the thinking of having all up in a heap in November if they’re going to be in a clamp till February!

I am wondering if BS did the haulage would they take them in quicker? My haulier (2 lorries) only had 3 permits some days.

Don't worry about lifting Beet in mid Dec. Safe from frost & Wheat will make up for a bit of C Beet.
IMO of course.
 

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
How close were your drilling dates @Sonoftheheir ? Interesting the 18" rows yielded more - I contemplated this as an alternative to 20" rows and tramlining, but the beet to beet clearance on 20" is only just enough for my 14.9" rowcrops as it is.
As a student, we grew beet as 4rows in a bed, 17" apart with a 20" wheeling gap, lifted with a Standen Spectrum
 

Sonoftheheir

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
West Suffolk
How close were your drilling dates @Sonoftheheir ? Interesting the 18" rows yielded more - I contemplated this as an alternative to 20" rows and tramlining, but the beet to beet clearance on 20" is only just enough for my 14.9" rowcrops as it is.
As a student, we grew beet as 4rows in a bed, 17" apart with a 20" wheeling gap, lifted with a Standen Spectrum

Same day @Spud, 20th April. 50cm with tramlines a lot easier for the sprayer,I think our Bateman is on 380 row crops, so not a lot of room in the 45cm width crop! Ok early but not ideal for fungicide time. I think the wheels may have pushed the beet over a bit, but they still seemed to get them ok come harvest.
 

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
Same day @Spud, 20th April. 50cm with tramlines a lot easier for the sprayer,I think our Bateman is on 380 row crops, so not a lot of room in the 45cm width crop! Ok early but not ideal for fungicide time. I think the wheels may have pushed the beet over a bit, but they still seemed to get them ok come harvest.
My thoughts exactly
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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