The United States is home to the world’s largest and most diverse sweetener market and since the mid-2000s, sugar beets have accounted for between 55 and 60 percent of sugar production. Unlike many other crops, sugar beet seeds do not have a smooth protective coating—this leaves them more sensitive to their soil environment and makes proper water uptake a tricky balancing act for many farmers. While there are coated sugar beet seeds on the market, producing high quality large yields in a timely manner, still poses its challenges.

Producing large yields of quality sugar beets comes down to a thoroughly prepared seed bed and most importantly the soil environment. If you’re looking to enhance crop performance you might consider using a soil amendment to optimize soil conditions. With the cost of inputs increasing, Growthful is a low cost, liquid soil amendment that helps grow bigger crops faster and increases crop yields, which means getting to the market faster than your competition.

Case Study: Michigan Sugar Company / 2021 Results

With Growthful Post-Emerge Spray, Michigan Sugar Company’s testing resulted in 2.9 tons per acre improvement per acre with sugar purity at 96.1. The application was applied twice at a cost of $6.00 resulting in a $78.00 return on investment (ROI) at $0.17 per pound to the farmers.

Growthful Pre-Emerge

Burndown application: A single application prior to emergence of the plant. Dilute 2 gallons of Growthful Pre-Emerge in a minimum of 10 gallons of water and apply to the soil prior to emergence of plant. The target application rate is 2 gallons of Growthful Pre- Emerge per acre. 

In Furrow application: Dilute 16 oz. of Growthful Pre-Emerge in a minimum of 3 gallons of water per acre on 30” rows. For fields with 15” rows, dilute 32 oz. of Growthful Pre- Emerge in 6 gallons of water per acre. 

Growthful Post-Emerge Spray

Broadcast applications: Dilute 12.8 oz. of Growthful Post-Emerge Spray with a minimum of 10 gallons of water and apply broadcast to soil or over crops. Apply 12.8 oz. per acre. Make 2-6 applications on 7-10 day cycles per growing season as part of normal input protocol. Apply 12.8 oz. per acre. 

Related article: Understanding Soil pH