OFFICIAL CODED TRIALS
Where Great Sugar Begins
Bred for Results. Bred for Growth.
The American Crystal Sugar Company trial program is a critical part of our efforts to deliver reliable, quality sugar to the world. Our seed selection process begins with detailed, high-quality data backed with real-world growing experience.
2024 Official Coded Variety Trials
Variety Selector
The Variety Selector is intended to assist growers in selecting appropriate seed varieties by identifying varieties with characteristics that are known to be consistent with the information provided by the grower.
View Official Trial Location Sites
Results
Results from the Official Variety Trial sites were excellent overall. Planting dates ranged from April 21 to May 17 for non-disease yield trial sites; the Aphanomyces yield trial site at Perley was planted June 10. Stands in the trials were excellent at most locations. All thirteen yield trial sites were harvested and data used; twelve for variety approval calculations and one (Perley) for yield under Aphanomyces disease pressure. Most sites had ample to excessive soil moisture early in the growing season but were dry for the latter part of the growing season. Rhizoctonia crown and root rot was minimal in 2024. Revenue calculations in 2024 are based on a hypothetical $54.53 payment (5-year rolling average) assuming 17.5% sugar and 1.5% SLM not considering hauling or production costs.
Fusarium ratings are from naturally infested sites at Moorhead and Sabin, MN. Rhizoctonia crown and root rot ratings are from inoculated nurseries at Crookston, MN, TSC-S and TSC-N in Moorhead, MN and Saginaw, MI (BSDF). Aphanomyces root rot ratings are from naturally infested nurseries at Perley, Glyndon (Magno), and Shakopee (KWS), MN. Cercospora leafspot ratings are from inoculated nurseries at Foxhome and Randolph (KWS), MN and Saginaw, MI (BSDF) as well as a non-inoculated nurseries at Averill, MN and Forest River, ND. Root aphid ratings are from a field nursery at Longmont, CO (Magno) with ratings pending from greenhouse assays at Moorhead (ACSC) and Shakopee, MN (KWS).
2024 harvest conditions were dry overall, despite excessive soil moisture early in the growing season. The dry soil provided some challenging conditions for keeping pinch wheels deep enough without bogging down the tractor. Sugarbeet roots lifted well.
The 2024 data have been combined with previous years’ data and results are enclosed. Results for the yield trials from individual sites are available on the internet.
Conventional trials were not planted in the 2024 OVT trials. Conventional varieties approved for 2020-2024 sales are permitted to continue in 2025 sales.
These results and additional information for individual growing sites are available on the World Wide Web at www.crystalsugar.com. More detailed information will be available later in the Sugarbeet Research and Extension Reports (www.sbreb.org). Additional data including individual yield trial results and agronomic procedures are also on the ACSC web site.
Click here to open a pdf file with the following 2024 Grower Info:
- List of varieties approved for sale to ACSC growers
- Multi-year performance of RR varieties from all sites
- Performance of RR varieties under Aphanomyces conditions (data from 2020 and 2024)
- Performance of conventional varieties from three sites (2017-2019)
- Disease ratings for all nurseries (varieties tested in 2024)
- Root Aphid rating/evaluation
- Trial sites, disease observations and agronomic information from all trial locations
- Seed treatments applied to seed used in the official coded variety trials
Download 2024 Grower Info in Excel Format
Links to 2024 data only follow:
Plot Procedures
Yield trials were planted to stand at 4.5 inches. Starter fertilizer (10-34-0) was applied in-furrow (3 GPA in 6 GPA total volume) in all yield trials. Counter 20G (8.9 lb/A) was applied in a 7-inch band after planting at all yield trial sites. Plots were planted crosswise (90°) to the cooperators’ normal farming operations, where possible. Plot row lengths for all official trials were maintained at 47 feet with about 40 feet harvested. Planting was performed with a 12-row SRES vacuum planter. The GPS controlled planter gave good single seed spacing which facilitated emergence counting. All seed provided by companies was primed. Seed companies had the option of treating seed with an Aphanomyces seed treatment, insecticide, and a Rhizoctonia seed treatment fungicide. Emergence counts were taken on 24 feet of each plot. Multiple seedlings were counted as a single plant if they emerged less than one inch apart. The stands in all yield trials were refined by removing doubles (multiple seedlings less than 1.5 inch apart) by hand but were not further reduced.
Roundup PowerMAX 3 with Class Act (surfactant) and full rates of fungicides were broadcast-applied using a pickup sprayer driven down the alleys. Two applications of Roundup (25 oz) were made at the 2-4 and 6-10 leaf stages. Hand weeding was used where necessary. All yield trials were treated with AZteroid in-furrow at planting (5.7 oz) and Quadris in a 7-inch band during the 6-10 leaf stage (10 oz) for Rhizoctonia control. Treatments used for Cercospora control in 2024 included Inspire XT/Manzate Max, Agri Tin/T-Methyl, Proline/Manzate Max, Manzate Max, and Priaxor/Agri Tin. Ground spraying was conducted by ACSC technical staff using 20 GPA and 75-80 psi.
Roundup Ready varieties with commercial seed were planted in four-row plots with six replicates. The RR experimental entries were planted in two-row plots with four replicates.
All plot rows were measured for total length after approximately 3.5 feet at each end were removed at the end of August, with skips greater than 60 inches being measured for adjustment purposes. Harvest was performed with one custom six-row harvester with increased cleaning capacity. All harvested beets of each plot were used for yield determination while one sample (approximately 20 lbs) was obtained from each plot for sugar and impurity analysis. Quality analysis was performed at the ACSC Technical Services Quality Lab in Moorhead, MN.
Varieties were planted in nurseries in Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan, and Colorado to evaluate varieties for disease and insect susceptibility. ACSC adjusts the Cercospora, Aphanomyces, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium nursery data each year to provide a consistent target for variety approval criteria.
Before purchasing seed, please check to make sure the varieties you are buying are on the current approved list. In accordance with the grower contract, the cooperative has the option to refuse beets of a non-approved variety. If you have questions, please contact the ACSC Technical Services Center or your ACSC Agriculture Department.