This is the Sugar Beet Report bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the Sugar Beet Growing Season. This is our last Sugar Beet Report of the season. Sadly, cercospora leaf spot remains in the conversation, and we'll recap the 2024 growing season with Eric Branch, NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Sugar Beet Specialist. Eric, at this point in the sugar beet growing season, what's going on with cercospora leaf spot?

We have seen a very warm September, dry, but when we have those dewy mornings, the leaf moisture is there and cercospora can infect the leaves. And with the daytime temperatures, we've had a lot of warm nights actually only until very recently has the nighttime temperature really started to drop. So that all factors into prime conditions, for cercospora leaf spot outbreaks. Any disease, even if a field may have looked pretty good going into September, you know, without those fungicide applications, even late in the year those applications can make a difference. That difference will tell. In fact, in my own research plots, we've seen Cercospora ratings really jump up the last 2 weeks.

Well, how does this season compare to other years?

Yeah. So we've typically benefited from great responsive sugar beet growers in terms of disease control. You guys are doing a great job in terms of getting applications on and that coupled with great sugar beet genetics that are out and about, have led to a reduced, you know, kind of quieter cercospora years. But this year it was a hotter year, we'll say, kicking off with some more leaf spots out there. We want to be cautious and keep being proactive going into the future.

Eric, how can a farmer's experience for cercospora this year help for next year's growing season?

Great question, Bruce. The number one thing to learn this year, I would say, is to watch your spray intervals. Keep them appropriately short given, say, rain events. We had a lot of rain and, especially, in early and mid July, even before temperatures really kicked up. And then, some drier August, but those dewy mornings and the temperatures, especially here in the Fargo area, really cranked up. Again, temperature and moisture are the two factors that are required for a certain cause release spot infection. And when you have both of those in any form really, infection can occur and then those outbreaks happen.

How would you characterize this year's growing season?

It looks great out there overall on average, you know. I had had some challenging planting additions in a few areas, the rainy spring. Overall, I do think weed control, you know, most fields are looking pretty good and sugarbeet root maggot was a little bit quieter this year, perhaps. So, that was a positive, right? And of course, cercospora has been ticking up. We've had a number of years of good research between NDSU Extension, the USDA, and of course other groups in the co ops. So, recommendations, were strong this year and hopefully, we will continue to fine tune those in the future, as well.

Eric, do you have any kind of message for the sugar beet producers?

My message to producers, Bruce, would be to keep up the good work and be proactive. You know, spring weed control, of course, makes a big difference and followed right up with proactive insecticide and fungicide program. It's really great to see the tonnage increase and, of course, once the testing comes back, the sucrose levels, it's great to see those develop closer towards harvest.

Eric, any final thoughts?

Well, to close out, I'd like to say that, we at NDSU Extension are in the middle of our sugar beet plot harvest. It's going really great. So far, so good. We're at the point where we're seeing results of our research year and it's not just us doing the work and getting results, it's also a big team effort from other folks at NDSU and our commodity groups, the sugar beet cooperatives, have all made a lot of contributions of various types and for their help. We have a great network of growers, sugar beet growers here in the valley too and everyone's been very supportive and we're very grateful for a successful research year and we hope that as the full harvest starts to ramp up here in October, we hope that it's a successful season for the rest of you all as well.

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.