Proven Performance

The leaf disease Cercospora beticola is one of the world’s most harmful fungal diseases for sugarbeets: The fungus can result in yield losses of up to 50 percent. There is a moderate to high incidence of infection for around two-thirds of cultivated areas worldwide. Launched by KWS in 2021, CR+ marked a significant breakthrough in Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) management. CR+ offers high Cercospora protection plus high yield performance, whereas for classic varieties Cercospora protection is otherwise at the expense of yield. The CR+ hybrids combine KWS plant genetics with multiple sources of Cercospora tolerance.

“Now, CR+ is proven on hundreds of thousands of acres and on thousands of farms in North America,” says Mark Schmidt, Vice President of Sales North America. With four seasons of use on their sugarbeet farms, growers have documented protection of CLS and yield productivity. “That proven protection and performance of CR+ varieties under all levels of CLS pressure is now backed through consistent sugar yield data, and high marks in grower satisfaction surveys.”

These surveys show that the vast majority of growers give a high satisfaction ranking of 8 or higher on a 10-point scale for CLS protection and the reduction in fungicide sprays, notes Schmidt. “That’s why growers have planted CR+ hybrids on 60 percent of the acres in North America in the fourth year of availability.”

“The high marks reflect the field data that show the effectiveness of the CR+ hybrids to manage the disease while also improving yields and sugar content,” says Schmidt. Growers think of it as ‘the power of plus’ that delivers season-long protection, plus a high level of yield productivity potential.

Schmidt adds that growers have also proven several other important benefits with CR+ that add to the return on investment, including the peace of mind it provides, as CR+ is suppressing CLS every day throughout the season. CR+ also supports late-season protection to maximize yields, keeping leaves green to harvest. This also reduces the chance that a late season application of fungicide could delay harvest due to the required preharvest interval.

Contributing to greater sustainability

CR+ also contributes to sustainable farming practices in combination with a fungicide strategy and cultural practices to reduce Cercospora inoculum buildup in the soil, potentially reducing the risk for future sugarbeet production on the farm and protecting both fungicides and CR+ from disease resistance.

“We’re pursuing more innovations in our pipeline, such as new trait technologies, improved plant genetics, and disease prediction,” says Schmidt. “There are lots of things that impact how good of a crop a grower is able to harvest. We want to do our part by delivering a high level of potential to growers.” |