For years, sugar beet production has been associated solely with countries that enjoy a moderate climate. The tropical beet changes that!
What are tropical sugar beets?
Tropical sugar beets are particularly resistant to extreme conditions such as drought, high temperatures, heavy rainfall and exotic diseases and pests (for instance, Spodoptera exigua caterpillars, which damage the canopy, or Sclerotium rolfsii, which causes root rot). Our trials in India have allowed us to develop a better response in our varieties to such extreme conditions. These trials consist of tests by official bodies, as well as trials that are part of our own test programs. The results are promising: yields even match those of the top harvests in Europe.
Thanks to our research and these trials in tropical conditions, SESVanderHave has also been able to develop varieties with the capacity to adapt to extreme conditions, even if not tropical.
“It’s important to note that tropical beets are not exclusively a product for tropical conditions. It’s a concept that allows growers to grow beets in non-temperate climates that are therefore unfavourable for sugar beet growing”, our International Sales Manager, Bruno De Wulf explains. “This makes tropical beets an ideal choice for markets such as Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, southern Spain, Iran, China or any area facing somehow extreme weather conditions.”
Benefits of tropical sugar beets
SESVanderHave’s tropical sugar beet varieties are perfectly adapted to hostile and unpredictable climates, such as in deserts or in high-altitude mountain plateaus. Specific benefits of tropical beets in these types of unfavourable climates are:
- Adaptation to limited water resources
- Tolerance to salinity of soils and/or irrigation water
- Germination in very hot conditions (over 30°C)
- Tolerance to wilting in hot and dry periods
Interested in tropical beets?
Our experts at SESVanderHave are happy to advise you on the most suitable variety choice, but also on crop management in a broader sense: crop protection, crop rotation, water management, fertilisation, soil management, conservation of beet quality after harvest under high temperatures, ... We’re there to support you!
If you would like to get in touch with us about tropical beets, please contact Bruno De Wulf, our International Sales Manager.
