Bejo produces beet seed in France, Australia, and New Zealand. With cultivation in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, we spread risks to ensure that we always have a certain amount of harvest. Even still, producing beet seed remains a challenge. In a conversation with Jos Doodeman (Global Seed Production Specialist) and Julien Jouanneau (Production Manager in France), we asked what risks and challenges they are currently facing.
Climate changes
“Spreading risk is important. After all, we work with nature and are therefore dependent on weather conditions. And yes, we too are seeing climate change,” says Doodeman. He continues, “Until ten years ago New Zealand and Australia had the perfect climate for Beet seed production, but we are now facing problems because of climate change. Heavy rainfalls are affecting the standard operations on the field, which is something you don’t want for seed production.” Jouanneau also sees this trend in France. “We are experiencing heavier rainfall more often. In addition, it freezes less or not at all in the winter months and we have more frequent heat waves in summer. Seed production has always been risky work, climate change makes the challenge even greater. We therefore have frequent contact with our breeders and researchers to develop robust varieties that are resistant to diseases.”
Seed production has always been risky work, climate change makes the challenge even greater. We therefore have frequent contact with our breeders and researchers to develop robust varieties that are resistant to diseases.
France as a production country
Despite the changing climate and associated risks to yield, Bejo has seed production in the Northern Hemisphere, but only in France. Doodeman explains why: “This has two main reasons. As Bejo, we work with growers who produce seed for us. For this, long-term relationships are essential. Through good cooperation with reliable partners, there is the trust to share knowledge with each other. Sharing knowledge and experiences helps both parties to optimize productions. The second reason is that the French government has a strict legal system to ensure isolations between production fields. Wind can carry pollen from sugar beet, for example, into a red beet field. This can have enormous consequences for the quality of the seed, which can even lead to whole seed lots having to be destroyed.”
“Indeed, in France, we have a special system that ensures that isolation between production fields is regulated,” Jouanneau confirms. He continues, “This is managed and controlled by an organization called SEMAE. Agricultural companies are required to declare what they grow, where it is planted and when. This is how the distances between different fields are determined, which can vary between 5, 10 or sometimes even 20 kilometers, depending on the risk. This system ensures that we can grow in a controlled way and prevent pollination between different fields.” It is important to add, continued Doodeman, “That all production companies respect the restrictions of SEMAE. You can think of it as a kind of 'gentlemen's agreement,' together we ensure that we keep all production fields sufficiently isolated.”
Monitoring and roguing
Jouanneau continues, “In addition, our technical team has the important task of continuously monitoring and roguing our fields. From early March to mid-April, all production fields are checked at least two, sometimes even three times to investigate whether there are plants in the field which are not true to type. This takes a lot of time and with today's labor shortages, it is difficult. Nevertheless, this is an essential process to keep our production fields clean. We are now investigating the possibility that AI powered drones can support us in the monitoring of fields and identifying plants which are not true to type. For the second year in a row, we are testing how a drone can help us with certain processes.”
Quality
Dealing well with all these challenges and risks ensures that we can keep the high quality of our production seed. Indeed, the goal is always to provide not only the highest quantity, but also the highest quality production seed. We continue to respond to changes in nature and prepare for the future. We do this by staying in close contact with breeders and researchers. For this reason, a 'Beet Expert Team' has been established with the aim of sharing knowledge and learning from each other. By joining forces, we stay informed of what is happening in the market, keeping an eye on climate developments, and discuss how we as Bejo can respond to them.
Especially in Europe, the laws and regulations surrounding pesticides are becoming more stringent, while we still have to deal with diseases such as mildew, we have noticed these challenges in seed production.
Laws and regulations
Strict laws and regulations have also brought additional challenges. Jos explains, “Especially in Europe, the laws and regulations surrounding pesticides are becoming more stringent, while we still have to deal with diseases such as mildew, we have noticed these challenges in seed production. Jouanneau adds: “We see it working to our advantage that Bejo has been investing in organic seeds for years. All the knowledge we have gained we not only use for organic seeds, but where possible we also apply it to the production of our conventional seed. In doing so, we try to minimize the use of pesticides. Doodeman summarizes, “A good motivation to invest in organic cultivation is the big challenge. If you can manage to produce enough high-quality organic seed then you should certainly succeed with conventional seed.”
There is clearly a lot to consider in beet seed production, as this conversation with colleagues has revealed. While it can be strenuous, both agree, “Above all, it is what makes our work very enjoyable. And we look to the future in good spirits; Bejo has prepared excellently.”
Beet Magazine
This article is from the first edition of our Beet Magazine. This issue delves into the multifaceted world of this vibrant root vegetable, covering everything from the latest challenges in seed production to the cultural significance of beets in different corners of the world. View the entire magazine here.
Beet Magazine