End of Project ReportTeagasc acknowledges with gratitude the support of
Sugar Beet Growers, Irish Sugar plc and European
Union Structural Funds (EAGGF) in the financing of
this research project.Trials with the new sulphonylurea herbicide, Debut, controlled a wide spectrum
of weeds common to Irish sugar beet. These included problem weeds such as
cleavers, charlock, mayweed and fools parsley. Best results were obtained when
the new product was applied with half the normal recommended dose of the
standard contact and residual sugar beet herbicides. Thus the overall active
ingredient applied to crop and soil was reduced with no loss in weed control
efficacy and crop safety.
A three year study comparing two and three spray weed control programmes on
triploid sugar beet varieties and the more erect growing diploid beet varieties was
also undertaken. Results indicated no difference in weed control efficacy or yield
response between the two variety types although similar work in the Netherlands
indicated otherwise.
A third investigation into the use of two spray weed control programmes for
sugar beet indicated that when applied to sugar beet sown in April commercially
acceptable weed control was feasible as long as weed pressure was not excessive
and sprays were applied at the correct stage of weed growth.European UnionIrish Sugar pl
