This is the sugar beet report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season. Even though some snow continues to linger, it's the time of year that sugar beet producers are chomping at the bit. Let's find out the latest sugar beet news from Eric Branch, an DSU and University of Minnesota extension sugar beet specialist. Eric, it's early, but do you have any planting news?

So for the sugar beet season in 2025, we are are, of course, optimistic as usual. We'll see how the weather and the seasonal variability goes out. It's really cool to see that some of our coops in the country are starting. Michigan Sugar and Amalgamated Sugar in Idaho already have, beet seeds in the ground anyway at a very low percentage, but I saw that report came out as of April 6. So we're looking forward to planting here soon in the Red River Valley. We've got some drier soils than we did last year at this time that hopefully will be beneficial as we get going and then hopefully some moisture too. Remains to be seen, Bruce, and we'll see how things happen. I I was looking at the historical numbers, and here in the Northern Valley, the American crystal sugar, the average planting dates last year was April 27, which was the earliest date in three or four years. We're well on the early side of that date now, so we will see when the the planters get rolling in the valley here. Are there any sugar beet acreage changes around the valley? So here we expect to see a slight increase in sugar beet acreage in Minnesota and North Dakota, although Minnesota sees a bigger bump with with actually a 5% increase driven by increased acreages in the Southern Minnesota beet sugar region. So very exciting going forward in 2025.

Eric, what can producers do to prepare for this season?

Yeah. So, you know, the producers have done a lot of the prep work already. Seeds are ordered. Chemicals are ordered and and being shipped and things like that already. And, you know, those inputs make the big difference. Right? There is, I think, eight or nine different opportunities for chemical applications, whether that's herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides throughout the year, from planting all the way through September right up till harvest. That's a lot of coordination and lots of product that has to get logistically handled. And of course, I'm an extension researcher, a plant pathologist. And throughout the winter, we share our information at extension events across the two states, Minnesota and North Dakota. Depending on who you talk to, we all have what we like to work on, the systems, the pathosystems that we know. For example, I work with Cercospora Leaf Spot, of course, our recommendations really focus on one problem at a time. But the other challenge is to incorporate all of our best suggestions, all our best research and and data based strategies into one comprehensive strategy for the grower, for the farmer to use during the year. And and and, of course, we wanna help with that, and we we can definitely help with that too. But that is a tough decision.

And and kind of sitting now looking as the season is is fast approaching and thinking about some of these timing things and and what parts of the year are gonna be, you know, time to spray for waterhemp, time to start cercospora sprays, that sort of thing to get a gauge on just how busy the season needs to be. Like, every year, it'll be busy for all of us.

Thanks, Eric. Our guest has been Eric Branch, NDSU and University of Minnesota extension sugar beet specialist. This is the sugar beet report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season.