Sugar Beet Harvest Finishes Well

Dec 04, 2018

By Gary Stone

Sugar beet harvest concluded last week in the Panhandle of western Nebraska, eastern and northcentral Wyoming, southern Montana, and northern Colorado. Higher than normal temperatures slowed early harvest and the snowstorm that occurred the second week curtailed the main harvest for a few days to allow the soil to dry.

So far, this has been a good year for growing and harvesting sugar beets. Nebraska yields have been averaging 31.82 tons per acre, a new record, with a 16.5% sugar content.

At 1,406,000 tons of sugarbeet production in 2018 Nebraska ranked fifth nationally. Minnesota (10,320,000), Idaho (6,589,000), North Dakota (6,090,000 tons), and Michigan (4,455,000 tons) ranked higher.

Source: unl.edu

Video: Sclerotinia and Lygus in Seed Canola: Field Update with George Lubberts, CCA | Enchant, Alberta

Join Certified Crop Advisor George Lubberts for this Prairie Certified Crop Advisor (Prairie CCA) field update from Enchant, Alberta. In this 12th video of the series, George takes us into a seed canola field where the male rows have been removed and the female plants are filling pods. This video was taken in the third week of August 2025.

George discusses the early signs of sclerotinia stem rot, explaining how infection begins in the stem, impacts pod development, and leads to premature ripening. He also shares insights on lygus bug management, including timing of spray applications to minimize feeding damage and maintain seed size and quality.

With cool, damp summer conditions, George notes that while disease pressure is present, overall field health remains good. The crop is just beginning to show early seed colour change, signaling progress toward maturity.

Topics Covered:

•Sclerotinia stem rot identification and impact

•Managing lygus bugs in seed canola

•Crop stage and seed colour change observations

•Timing insecticide sprays for optimal protection

•Insights from a CCA field perspective in southern Alberta