The sugar beet harvest in the UK is expected to be reduced due to the reduced risk of yellow virus without the use of neonicotinoids.

In the United Kingdom, sugar beet producers will not be able to use neonicotinoid-treated seeds this spring as the low temperatures in February have reduced the risk of virus yellows infection, according to Farmers Weekly.

According to Rothamsted Research forecasts, the first aphids transmitting virus yellows will appear in crops from May 18. This is significantly later than last year when the first aphid was observed at the end of March, indicating a reduced virus risk.

Due to frost, cold weather, and a decrease in aphid numbers, British Sugar expects sugar production in the UK to reach 900,000 tons, significantly lower than the previous year's figure of 1.19 million tons. However, British Sugar's Agricultural Director, Peter Watson, is confident that the situation will not repeat in 2021, and growing the crop without neonicotinoids is the best way forward. He also emphasized that British Sugar will continue to work on combating virus yellows and will avoid neonicotinoids in the future.

BBRO scientists will also closely monitor aphids during the upcoming season and set up a network of yellow water traps to assess aphid populations associated with insecticide threshold values.

In addition, British beet growers have been given permission to use a product to combat sugar beet nematodes.