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“Sugarbeet Report” presented by NDSU Extension, features growing tips from NDSU sugar beet specialists and researchers.
This is the Sugarbeet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season. This is the last sugar beet report of the 2026 growing season. We'll go over the ups and downs of the beet season, including drought and Sirkoshpa leaf spot impact with Eric Branch, an DSU and University of Minnesota extension sugar beet specialist. Eric, how would you characterize the sugar beet growing season in the valley this year?
Eric Branch:You know, think in some ways, Bruce, we had a mixed bag, but overall okay. Some areas were hit too hard by the drought, of course, where we saw some reduced yields from that. Other areas had a decent amount of rain, and the beets turned out nice. Beets as a crop, they have a deep root system, can suck up moisture from deep underground, so that provides a little resiliency in kind of those marginal areas. In terms of diseases that were affected by the moisture, we saw fewer root diseases overall, fewer foliar leaf diseases, so that of course is a good thing. And we're hoping for some dry weather as we approach stockpile harvest now in October.
Bruce Sundeen:How do the drought conditions affect the Sugarbeet crop?
Eric Branch:Yeah. You know, in my tenure here, has been unprecedented and really a tough situation for a lot of growers across the region. For Sugarbeet growers in particular, the moisture definitely reduced yield, reduced tons. We do see the beets somewhat compensate. We'll have a higher percentage of sugar, less water, more sugar within the beet, but that can only go so far. And, course, when we get these rains later in the season, in some ways too little, too late. Right? And those beets take in water, and, of course, sugar content goes down. But I will say that any rain at this point, it will pay it forward by the next spring, so not entirely bad at all.
Bruce Sundeen:So with the dry conditions, does that mean cercospora leaf spot is dead?
Eric Branch:Well, is cercospora leaf spot dead? I wish it was. Cercospora leaf spot can infect and cause yield losses and disease epidemics in a field even without any rain at all. And we see that with dew formation and the high humidity that we did have pockets, areas of plenty of high humidity. My region encompasses the Southern Minnesota region as well, not just North Dakota. Between the humidity and moisture there, growers did have a very challenging year with cercospora leaf spot again. Not quite like 2025, but growers use all the tools in their toolbox for disease control, and we're hoping to do more in the future. That's what the research extension program is all about.
Bruce Sundeen:Let's talk about the post season. How is that looking?
Eric Branch:Yeah. So post season, you know, it's the number one thing that growers can do is to put good high quality beets into the piles, and then the storage will be good. So I'm thinking about the two t's, Bruce, when it comes to storage, tare and temperature. Temperature is important. If the beets are too warm, then they won't freeze soon enough, and then that beet will still be alive and respire and burn through sugar stores, sugar sucrose reserves, and contribute to more heat. It's a big feedback loop. And tear soil. So tear soil is a soil that's attached to the beet. And of course beyond that financial incentive to have as little of it as possible, maybe from the processing perspective, right, that soil is gonna have bacteria and fungi that also contribute to storage rots and losses during the winter as well.
Bruce Sundeen:Eric, any final thoughts?
Eric Branch:I will leave you all with the date of January 12, which will be the Sugarbeet Research and Reporting Session in the Fargo Dome here in Fargo. And NDSU Extension, University of Minnesota Extension will be sharing research updates from all of the Sugarbeet research done in the past season. So it's a great chance to learn and to network and to see what's coming down the pipeline. And I do wanna thank all of the listeners for this season, and I also wanna thank the funders that made this podcast possible, the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board.
Bruce Sundeen:Thanks, Eric. Our guest has been Eric Branch, NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Sugarbeet Specialist. This has been the Sugarbeet Report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season.