Test harvestings 2021

We will start the test harvestings in 2021 on August 2nd. In the regions Rheinland and Söllingen we will begin harvesting on August 16th. Until the middle/end of October we will harvest every two weeks in the regions. The results can be find here after the sugar beets analysis a few days later.

For more than 50 years Strube is carrying out sample harvests in sugar beet fields every two weeks from the end of July to the end of october in Germany. The results of our test harvestings can be found in the tables below, beginning in the first week of august.

News and current situation

August 6th 2021 | Plenty of leaves, average beet yields and below-average sugar contents: This is how the results of the first test harvestings from early August 2021 in southern Germany can be summarised. A closer look at the weather data in the regions reveals that temperatures in April and May were well below average. In July, too, there was a lack of heat compared to the 10-year average temperature. Especially in May, June and July, there was also a lot of rainfall and the sugar beets produced a lot of leaf matter. Many days of sunshine would be desirable in order to increase the sugar content.

September 3rd 2021 | The root yield forecast for sugar beets in Germany has been revised upwards to 78.2 tonnes per hectare, 5.7 % above the five-year average. ((MARS Bulletin - Vol. 29 No. 8, 23 August 2021)

September 17th 2021 | In the average of all testharvesting fields the root yield is above the 5 year mean, while the sugar contents remain slightly under the mean.

Results of our test harvestings

region Rheinland (Northwest Germany) October 27th

11 fields

soil type luvisol (para brown earth)
ground points (valuation index of fields) 65 - 95
plant density 70.000 bis 110.000 plants per hectare
date of sowing 1st to 21st April 2021

Precipitation in mm	2021	2020	2019	ø 2011 - 2020
01.10. - 31.03.	361	449	342	322
01.04. - 10.10.	438	218	288	367
11.10. - 25.10.	22	14	31	21
01.01. - 25.10.	682	467	523	545

	SBY	SC	WSC	SY	WSY	K	Na	AmN	SML	leaf weight
	t/ha	%	%	t/ha	t/ha	mmol/1000 g sugar beet			%	%
16.08.2021	58,7	15,0	13,2	8,80	7,75	37,5	5,2	8,0	1,18	-
30.08.2021	68,5	15,7	14,0	10,77	9,56	34,8	4,6	8,9	1,17	-
13.09.2021	73,0	16,8	15,0	12,24	10,98	32,0	4,0	9,3	1,13	-
27.09.2021	84,5	17,8	16,2	15,08	13,68	28,9	4,0	7,4	1,05	-
11.10.2021	89,8	18,5	16,8	16,59	15,06	30,9	3,9	8,4	1,10	-
25.10.2021	95,7	19,0	17,2	18,16	16,47	30,4	3,7	11,4	1,16	-

19.10.2020	101,1	18,3	16,4	18,45	16,58	30,3	4,3	14,9	1,25	-
21.10.2019	82,8	18,0	16,0	14,88	13,25	30,9	4,1	19,5	1,37	-
22.10.2018	77,4	19,4	17,3	15,00	13,40	34,9	4,3	21,6	1,47	-
ø 2016-2020	93,7	18,6	16,6	17,40	15,58	31,8	4,1	17,7	1,33	-
25.10.2021 rel.	102	102	104	104	106	96	90	65	87	-

Caption: SBY - sugar beet yield, SC - sugar content, WSC - white sugar content, SY - sugar yield, WSY - white sugar yield, K - potassium, Na - sodium, AmN - amino-N-content, SML - standard molasses loss, leaf weight - in percent based on the beet yield

region Söllingen (Helmstedt/Wolfenbüttel) October 27th

5 fields

soil type luvisol (para brown earth)
ground points (valuation index of fields) 75 - 95
plant density 95.000 to 115.000 plants per hectare
date of sowing 25th to 31st March 2021

Precipitation in mm	2021	2020	2019	ø 2011-2020
01.10. - 31.03.	228	293	233	274
01.04. - 10.10.	298	192	294	325
11.10. - 25.10.	20	29	18	22
01.01. - 25.10.	439	387	446	473

	SBY	SC	WSC	SY	WSY	K	Na	AmN	SML	leaf weight
	t/ha	%	%	t/ha	t/ha	mmol/1000 g sugar beet			%	%
16.08.2021	48,0	16,6	14,5	7,97	6,97	44,0	9,7	14,6	1,48	122
30.08.2021	69,3	15,7	13,8	10,91	9,57	38,9	8,0	11,8	1,33	89
13.09.2021	77,5	16,9	15,0	13,13	11,63	36,3	6,6	13,9	1,33	80
27.09.2021	85,2	17,5	15,6	14,92	13,26	34,3	5,9	15,6	1,34	62
11.10.2021	91,8	18,1	16,0	16,59	14,68	38,3	6,3	18,7	1,46	59
25.10.2021	94,5	18,9	17,0	17,81	16,03	31,0	4,8	15,4	1,28	47

19.10.2020	97,3	18,6	16,7	18,11	16,29	33,9	5,3	13,5	1,27	36
21.10.2019	97,6	19,4	17,6	18,95	17,21	31,6	3,3	11,7	1,18	29
22.10.2018	75,1	21,4	19,4	16,10	14,61	34,9	3,0	11,7	1,39	30
ø 2016-2020	89,5	19,4	17,6	17,34	15,74	31,6	3,5	11,7	1,19	32
25.10.2021 rel.	105	97	97	103	102	98	138	128	108	146

Region Zeitz (Middle and East of Thüringen) October 15th

3 Fields

Soil type Parabrown earth
Ground points (valuation index for the soil) 63 - 85
Plant density 90.000 until 110.000 Plants/Hectar
Sowing date March 29th 2021

Precipitation in mm	2021	2020	2019	ø 2011 - 2020
01.10. - 31.03.	224	224	189	211
01.04. - 26.09.	432	263	231	319
13.09. - 27.09.	14	42	34	20
01.01. - 27.09.	562	422	366	431

	SBR	SC	WSC	SY	WSY	K	Na	AmN	SML	Leaf weight
	t/ha	%	%	t/ha	t/ha	mmol/1000 g Rübe			%	% o.R.
02.08.2021	48,0	15,6	13,8	7,48	6,61	38,7	6,8	7,8	1,21	152
16.08.2021	59,0	16,9	15,2	9,99	8,98	37,0	5,1	4,8	1,10	109
30.08.2021	74,0	16,3	14,5	12,06	10,75	38,0	5,1	7,2	1,17	82
13.09.2021	83,6	17,6	15,9	14,68	13,29	34,4	2,1	5,9	1,06	72
27.09.2021	99,9	17,2	15,5	17,18	15,52	30,2	3,4	7,8	1,07	65
11.10.2021	103,3	17,4	15,7	17,97	16,19	31,1	3,4	10,0	1,13	46

05.10.2020	77,7	20,3	18,6	15,73	14,41	32,6	2,3	8,2	1,10	31
07.10.2019	59,9	19,7	17,9	11,78	10,73	33,8	2,5	9.9	1,15	32
Caption: SBY - sugar beet yield, SC - sugar content, WSC - white sugar content, SY - sugar yield, WSY - white sugar yield, K - potassium, Na - sodium, AmN - amino-N-content, SML - standard molasses loss, leaf weight - in percent based on the beet yield

Region Ochsenfurt (Franken, North of Bavaria) October 15th

3 Fields

soil type Parabrown earth/Brown earth
Ground points (valuation index for the soil) 75 - 95
plant density 75.000 bis 85.000 Pl./ha
sowing time March 25th until 31st 2021

Precipitation in mm	2021	2020	2019	ø 2011 - 2020
01.10. - 31.03.	226	286	223	249
01.04.-26.09.	465	226	269	347
27.09.-11.10.	14	29	68	25
01.01.-11.10.	590	406	419	475

	SBY	SC	WSC	SY	WSY	K	Na	AmN	SML	Leaf weight
	t/ha	%	%	t/ha	t/ha	mmol/1000 g R.			%	% b.o.R.
02.08.2021	46,9	15,3	13,6	7,17	6,36	33,9	7,2	6,0	1,12	148
16.08.2021	59,1	16,2	14,4	9,57	8,54	33,2	6,3	8,2	1,15	108
30.08.2021	79,9	16,2	14,5	12,97	11,60	34,5	3,8	7,3	1,11	108
13.09.2021	87,7	17,3	15,6	15,20	13,69	34,1	3,1	8,2	1,12	83
27.09.2021	102,6	17,8	16,1	18,29	16,53	33,8	3,8	7,7	1,12	71
11.10.2021	104,9	18,5	16,9	19,44	17,68	30,7	3,9	7,7	1,08	59

05.10.2020	96,7	17,8	15,9	17,21	15,36	31,4	6,7	15,9	1,32	24
07.10.2019	85,0	19,9	17,9	16,92	15,21	31,6	3,7	21,5	1,42	20
08.10.2018	124,7	18,2	16,2	22,63	20,21	37,4	2,7	16,1	1,35	41
ø 2016 - 2020	95,6	18,8	16,9	17,98	16,18	32,1	4,4	15,0	1,28	29
11.10.2021 rel.	110	98	100	108	109	95	88	51	84	206

Region Straubing/Plattling (South of Bavaria) September 17th

3 Felder

Soil type Parabrown earth
Ground points (valuation index for the soil) 60 - 80
Plant density 90.000 - 105.000 Pl./ha

Precipitation in mm	2021	2020	2019	ø 2011 - 2020
01.10. - 31.03.	259	276	333	285
01.04.-29.08.	438	287	269	323
30.08.-13.09.	7	28	12	27
01.01.-13.09.	577	459	428	482

	SBY	SC	WSC	SY	WSY	K	Na	AmN	SML	Leafweight
	t/ha	%	%	t/ha	t/ha	mmol/1000 g R.			%	% o.R.
02.08.2021	54,8	13,8	11,9	7,54	6,51	45,4	5,9	7,7	1,28	116
16.08.2021	68,2	15,2	13,4	10,36	9,12	40,6	4,6	8,2	1,22	103
30.08.2021	78,9	15,9	14,2	12,56	11,19	36,5	3,6	7,5	1,14	80
13.09.2021	84,1	16,6	14,8	13,96	12,48	37,7	3,8	7,4	1,16	70
27.09.2021
11.10.2021

07.09.2020	91,6	16,8	15,2	15,35	13,90	25,4	1,7	7,7	1,00	70
09.09.2019	94,7	17,3	15,5	16,34	14,64	40,5	1,8	8,9	1,20	51
10.09.2018	91,4	17,8	16,1	16,29	14,74	29,6	1,5	10,3	1,10	41
ø 2016-2020	91,8	17,2	15,5	15,78	14,23	31,5	1,9	8,5	1,09	60
13.09.2021 rel.	92	97	96	88	88	120	203	87	106	118

Graph: Root yield and sugar content of test harvestings every fortheen days from the end of july until the middle/end of october

Within the scope of the test harvestings, the beets are harvested and headed by hand. The beet yields can therefore be up to 10 percent higher than the practical results.