This is the Sugarbeet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season. Today, we're learning about the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board. Who are they, and what do they do? Let's find out with our guest, Robert Vivatson, president of the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board. Robert, tell us about the board and what you do on the board.

So I'm currently chairman of the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board, and we fund a lot of projects. We get a lot of applications. We review those. We fund certain ones. We don't fund certain ones if we don't feel it's right for us. A lot of universities, researchers from universities, I should say, a lot of PhD students, stuff like that. USDA is a big one. They've been really good to work with extension programs, stuff like that. We are funded from the checkoff from the three co ops, American Crystal, Mindaq, Southern Minnesota. So it's a set rate per acre for our checkoff, and we take that money and put it to work.

Who makes up the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board?

Growers like myself. Industry like so Mindaq, Southernman, and MarinCrystal all have representatives on there. Extension people from NDSU and U of M, USDA. Pretty good group of us. I think there's about 10 of us growers from MarinCrystal that are on there, and then, MarinCrystal have representatives too. I should mention we just had our summer needs meeting where all the board gets together and everyone voices their concerns for what's needed. And we let the researchers know that. So when they're applying for projects come fall and winter, they have a good handle on what the growers' highest needs are, I guess, put it that way.

What are some of the research priorities of the board?

Obviously, weeds. Water hemp's a big one. Scotia, you know, resistant weeds. Diseases, and a lot of talk about cover crop this year after all the wind. A lot of talk about rye and how to deal with that. What's the best course for that? The USDA has some really good, very scientific tests and trials they do with specific compounds for resistance and looking for new ones. Same with a lot of the entomology in our area specifically where Sugarbeet root mang gets a big thing. They're testing compounds for that to try to find new ones. Those are always under the microscope.

What's your disease focus?

Obviously, cercospora in the South is a big deal. In the North, we're a little bit blessed with the cooler, so it's not quite as bad. But I know Eric Branch and NESU has been looking at different rotational fungicides in three different areas of the valley so we can kinda evaluate north, south, and in the middle, how the reaction environment and whatnot. And I have a new fungicide this year for Cercospora. It's gonna be pretty important in the South. They're optimistic about that, helping them in their fight against Cercospora.

In general, how is the sugar beet crop coming along?

So we're way up north here, and we got a lot of rain in June. Pretty wet throughout June, so we're starting to dry out now a little bit. We've been getting a little rain in July still. Beach are coming around. It looked pretty fair. Not as good as maybe south further, but they look pretty good. Further south, they're gonna need some more rain, and we'll need some more rain eventually too. And lots of sun, that's what helps.

Robert, has the heat been an issue at all?

I think where it's dry, it's not helping matters, but where there's decent moisture, like, for us up here, it's okay because we need a little help to push the crop on. It just everything was so cool and wet to start out with, so it take a time to catch up, I guess.

Did that cause much replanting?

We had a little bit. Yep. Crystal wide, there was, I think, close to 10%. Yep. Definitely here and there.

Thanks, Robert. Our guest has been Robert Vivatson, president of the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board. This is the Sugarbeet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season.