Beet beetles destroy 10 percent of Austrian beet acreage

Published Jun 20, 2023

Tridge summary

Approximately 4,000 hectares of sugar beet in Austria have been damaged by the beet weevil, with losses estimated at around 60,000 tons of sugar production. This damage is attributed to the ban on neonicotinoids, which have previously been used for seed coating. The ban, in place across Europe, has limited options for beet growers to combat the beet weevil, with pheromone traps proving ineffective.

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Original content

According to the Austrian sugar beet growers' association, about 4,000 hectares of the total 38,000 hectares of beet have been eaten by the beet weevil. This is reported by the German agricultural news site Agrarheute. In addition, the growers' association estimates that between 2,500 and 3,000 hectares of this has been sown. Beet Institute IRS reported at the end of May that soil insects such as the beet beetle were more common in the Netherlands this spring than in previous years due to the cold and wet weather. As the cause of the beetle damage in Austria, the growers' organization in the country points to the disappearance of the authorization of neonicotinoids. As elsewhere in Europe, beet growers in Austria have not been allowed to use neonicotinoids for a few years now. Seed coating of sugar beet with the active substances imidacloprid, thiametoxam and clothianidin is no longer possible. 60,000 tons of sugar The Austrian ...

Source: Nieuwe Oogst