Yield of glyphosate-resistant sugar beets and efficiency of weed management systems with glyphosate and conventional herbicides under German and Polish crop production

Abstract

In sugar beet production, weed control is one of the most important and most expensive practices to ensure yield. Since glyphosate-resistant sugar beets are not yet approved for cultivation in the EU, little commercial experience exists with these sugar beets in Europe. Experimental field trials were conducted at five environments (Germany, Poland, 2010, 2011) to compare the effects of glyphosate with the effects of conventional weed control programs on the development of weeds, weed control efficiency and yield. The results show that the glyphosate weed control programs compared to the conventional methods decreased not only the number of herbicide applications but equally in magnitude decreased the dosage of active ingredients. The results also showed effective weed control with glyphosate when the weed covering was greater and sugar beets had a later growth stage of four true leaves. Glyphosate-resistant sugar beets applied with the glyphosate herbicide two or three times had an increase in white sugar yield from 4 to 18 % in comparison to the high dosage conventional herbicide systems. In summary, under glyphosate management sugar beets can positively contribute to the increasingly demanding requirements regarding efficient sugar beet cultivation and to the demands by society and politics to reduce the use of chemical plant protection products in the environment.

Genetically modified crops in Switzerland: implications for agrosystem sustainability evidenced by multi-criteria model

“…Predictions about yield improvements were largely variable depending on the source. For example, the HT sugar beet yield increases range from none to 18 % depending on the study (Brookes and Barfoot 2013;Nichterlein et al 2013). No significant increase in yield of Bt maize, FR BR apple, or FR potato were expected or modelled (Speiser et al 2013).…”

“…Cultivation of GM sugar beet is expected to shift pesticide consumption from 4 to 2 kg active substance/ha in low-weed scenario A and 5 to 2 kg/ha in high weed scenario B, respectively (Nichterlein et al 2013). In four of the scenarios, impact on energy use was consistently linked with additional costs to allow and maintain coexistence of distinct crop regimes (Figs.…”

“…Again, those were defined in collaboration with t h e s t a k e h o l d e r s ( s e e S e c t i o n 2 . 1 a n d Acknowledgements) Yield in sugar beet cultivation is highly dependent on weed control (Nichterlein et al 2013). Therefore, two scenarios were tested with the HT sugar beet, one with a low weed pressure (scenario A) and the other with a high weed pressure (scenario B) ( Table 1).…”

Evaluation of two chemical weed control systems in sugar beet in Germany and the Russian Federation

“…Weed shift caused by conventional weed control with selective herbicides has favoured several difficult-to-control-weeds, such as Fallopia convolvulus L., Mercurialis annua L., Solanum nigrum L. and Aethusa cynapium L. (Vasel et al 2012). These weeds became less susceptible to herbicides or escaped weed control by late emergence.Roundup Ready® system based on glyphosatetolerant sugar beet cultivars and use of glyphosate containing herbicide is an alternative technology for weed management in sugar beet (Nichterlein et al 2013). In the USA, this technology was very rapidly adopted by farmers and in 2009, 85% of the sugar beets produced in the USA were Roundup Ready® cultivars (Nichterlein et al 2013).…”

“…Roundup Ready® system based on glyphosatetolerant sugar beet cultivars and use of glyphosate containing herbicide is an alternative technology for weed management in sugar beet (Nichterlein et al 2013). In the USA, this technology was very rapidly adopted by farmers and in 2009, 85% of the sugar beets produced in the USA were Roundup Ready® cultivars (Nichterlein et al 2013).…”