Beet yields 2020

[Tom 17061200]

Hello everyone,

I am currently studying in my final year at Harper Adams University. For my HRP (Honours Research Project)/dissertation I am focusing on 'Alternative Strategies use to Control Virus Yellows in the Absence of Neonicotinoids'.
Due to COVID we were encouraged to build surveys as our data collection method.

The aim of the research is to evaluate the any alternative ways of controlling virus yellows in sugar beet whilst Neonicotinoids remain banned in the UK, in order to maintain yields in the crop.

Please only complete the survey if you are involved in the UK sugar beet industry e.g. grower, agronomist, contractor ect.
Please feel free to share the link to anyone as the more replies the better!

https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/strategies-used-to-control-virus-yellows-in-the-absence-of

Thank you!

View attachment 942043

 

[two-cylinder]

They're calling your bluff - how many said they would stop growing but still will? Same old, same old. You folk need to see an addiction councilor. They will be sitting back looking at the piles of money while you're all pumping water off the mud.

You have those who said they're not growing in 2021 to thank for the 80p uplift, if more had said the same the rise would have been greater.

 

[Flat 10]

You have those who said they're not growing in 2021 to thank for the 80p uplift, if more had said the same the rise would have been greater.

No option not to grow in a 3 year deal.

 

[AlfM]

No option not to grow in a 3 year deal.

It’s those that signed for 3 years that have given British Sugar a certain amount of leverage at each price negotiation ever since as they know they have a certain tonnage. Should never of done it.

 

[Chris W]

No option not to grow in a 3 year deal.

debatable?

 

[Flat 10]

debatable?

Not for me but maybe legally.

 

[two-cylinder]

No option not to grow in a 3 year deal.

Only half the crop was on the 3 year deal, the rest was a good lever if growers had used it.

 

[Flat 10]

Only half the crop was on the 3 year deal, the rest was a good lever if growers had used it.

True. Cut my acreage. If I had done my first lift before the contract deadline i would have reduced it further. Thing is we don't know how much people have reduced their acreage do we? BS must know but they won't tell us will they?

 

[two-cylinder]

The contract deadline, it's a 'pile on the pressure' lever to get people to sign up - they don't need to know that early.
I know lots of people who were firm but fair with them- and said 'They would make their minds up after they saw the results of the 2020 crop'.
We did and the fields man rang us just after our final load went in.
In fact he has rung up several times since too, but we had made our minds up not to grow in 2021.
I imagine yesterdays uplift has been applied at the 'eleventh' hour to try and bring a few more disillusioned growers back?

 

[Bill Turtle]

Back on topic. Beet all delivered in now. Yield of 74.79t/Ha adjusted 86.84 dirty. Apparently I sent them a lot of topsoil although it looked well cleaned as usual by the Maus.

 

[Hindsight]

Back on topic. Beet all delivered in now. Yield of 74.79t/Ha adjusted 86.84 dirty. Apparently I sent them a lot of topsoil although it looked well cleaned as usual by the Maus.

Hi, thats good compared to the Fen. How does that yield compare to your long term average. Most folk seem to have higher than expected dirt tare - questions being asked.

 

[Chris W]

Back on topic. Beet all delivered in now. Yield of 74.79t/Ha adjusted 86.84 dirty. Apparently I sent them a lot of topsoil although it looked well cleaned as usual by the Maus.

Fantastic result ... what did the rest of us do wrong this year ?

 

[robbie]

I don't know I had a similar dirty yield but adjusted was only 60-65 off the top of my head. I had high tares but I assume @Bill Turtle your sugars were reasonably good to get an adjusted weight only 12 ton less than dirty.

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

I don't know I had a similar dirty yield but adjusted was only 60-65 off the top of my head. I had high tares but I assume @Bill Turtle your sugars were reasonably good to get an adjusted weight only 12 ton less than dirty.

Funny how sim putting them through the cleaner or not, made no difference
A cynic would think something wasn't right and bs needed the sugar

 

[Bill Turtle]

My sugars were 16.58 and 16.35 for 75 acres lifted end of November, with dirt of 7.07 and 7.59.
Mid February lift of 91 acres was 15.93 sugar and 11.78 dirt.
The sugars seem about right because the beet kept producing new leaf due to Cercospora. I am more sceptical about dirt because the November lift was done in terrible conditions and the trailers did rut the ground under the maus heap. With the recent lift 75 acres was done on frost so the beet came out clean and the ground under the heap stayed level. That lift also sat for a week so should have cleaned better over the loader. The last 16 acres as the frost was coming out was messy. I had expected to see differences in dirt tare with the frost lift being as good or better than the November lift, and the last fifteen acres being dirtiest because of rutting and more dirt on the beet.

 

[Hindsight]

Funny how sim putting them through the cleaner or not, made no difference
A cynic would think something wasn't right and bs needed the sugar

Seems little point putting in a dispute. From what I have seen they are just batted back. Factory manager has a one word vocabulary NO. Hey ho.

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

Seems little point putting in a dispute. From what I have seen they are just batted back. Factory manager has a one word vocabulary NO. Hey ho.

Ours are still in the ground....
Only small grower so every load sampled.
I already know the dirt tares will be high

 

[robbie]

Seems little point putting in a dispute. From what I have seen they are just batted back. Factory manager has a one word vocabulary NO. Hey ho.

As mentioned already I had a noticable jump of 10 or more % from one day to the next, my complaint was rejected and I could have appealed but as you say what's the bloody point BS do as they please.

 

[Flat 10]

I don’t think there’s a cover up. I think there’s some kind of fault with the sampling equipment that means it’s tainted after a few dirty loads. Just my opinion.

 

[robbie]

How beet from the same field, tiled on the same heap, loaded by the same driver over the same cleaner over two days vary so much.