LIST OF RECOMMENDED SUGAR BEET VARIETIES IN CZECH REPUBLIC FOR 2023

The total of 27 sugar beet varieties were added to the list of recommended varieties in 2023. The trials were based on 10 locations. The spring months were very cold with ground frosts, the weather was quite dry during the growing season and the distribution of rainfall was rather uneven. In September the weather was warm and dry; harvesting took place under optimum conditions. The final processing used five sites, all of which underwent soil analysis and were confirmed as free of any beet cyst nematode infection. The average beet yield was 5 t.ha(-1) lower than in 2022 and average sugar content was comparable to the previous year (17.5%). The list of recommended sugar beet varieties is published every year by the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture (UKZUZ) commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. Those who take part in the process are Sugar Beet Growers Associations, sugar companies and seed firms. The varieties are divided and evaluated according to their tolerance. The overall indicator, the INDEX, expresses parameters of a variety in relation to the average of the whole tested assortment on a relative scale. The list of recommended varieties includes not only one-year results, but also the results of two and three-year tests.