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A late, cold start to the beet year
Delayed growth particularly in the German and Danish growing areas
“In Denmark crops are lagging around ten days
behind “normal” years. On a positive note, we are
seeing high plant populations per hectare and
excellent herbicide effects in all four countries.”
Christer Sperlingsson, Senior Manager
Beet Supply, Nordic Sugar
“The long winter, wet soil and flooded fields did not
allow for early sowing. We are all the more happy
that our growers in Poland and Slovakia made use of
all available resources and were able to get the beets
planted in just 16 days.”
Dr Gerd Jung, Senior Vice President, Beet
Procurement Nordzucker Eastern Europe
“Just like humans, beets don’t like being cold
and wet! Our 2013 beet year is likely to be below
average.”
Volker Bückmann, Senior Vice President, Beet
Procurement Nordzucker Central Europe
In 2013, sugar beet sowing began later
than the five-year average in most of the
countries where Nordzucker grows sugar
beet. Compared with the very early
compact sowing in 2012, almost every
Nordzucker beet office recorded a much
later start to sowing at the beginning of
April and much longer sowing periods
were also widespread. In many places,
orders had to be interrupted on several
occasions due to late frost and heavy
downpours. Sowing was fully completed
in Germany, Poland and Slovakia at the
end of April. Sowing in Denmark was
also eleven days behind the five-year
average. Only in Sweden was it possible
for growers to drill their beet at their
usual times – and even then there were
major differences between growing areas
in the west and the east.
Very good initial conditions
Good soil structure, mellowness due to
frost and sufficient soil moisture ensured
very good initial conditions across the
board and thereby enabled even plant
carpet levels to be achieved with optimum
plant density. Likewise, the effect
of herbicides was very good on the whole
thanks to favourable soil moisture, although
growth delays brought on by
herbicide stress were observed locally.
April and May were persistently
cold and rainy months, particularly in
Germany and Denmark. Sugar beets
grew at a very slow pace and row closure
was only observed at the end of
June in many parts of both countries.
Shortly after Whitsun, Germany was hit
by local flooding and surface siltation
following heavy rains. Low-lying parts
of the beet catchment areas of the
plants in Schladen, Nordstemmen and
Clauen were particularly affected, with
over 100 mm of rain per day and square
metre falling on and around 25 May.
Crops in Finland and Lithuania
developed rapidly and very well under
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