Agronomy work pushes sugar beet yields higher
by Kieran Brett
With regular support from ACIDF, the agronomy research team at Lantic Inc. in Taber is field-testing
innovative crop production practices.
After 30 years of working with sugar beets
and the farmers who grow them, Peter
Regitnig still enjoys heading out to the
field in the morning. That’s a testament to
the enduring appeal of the crop, the
friendships he’s made and the professional
satisfaction of improving the yield and
quality of Alberta sugar beets.
Regitnig, Taber-based Research
Agronomist with Lantic (formerly Rogers
Sugar), leads an experienced, focused,
three-member team with a practical
mandate.
“We work to try and increase production
and quality, both for growers and for our company,” he says, “and we’ll look at any means of
doing that. About half our work is in variety testing. We also research agronomic aspects
such as fertility, weed control and insect management under irrigated sugar beet
production.”
In recent years, no fewer than seven Lantic research projects have received funding from the
Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund (ACIDF). As ACIDF sees it, the ongoing
partnership with Regitnig and Lantic is a strong example of agronomy-related research at its
best.
First, the projects investigate narrow
agronomic questions of practical value to
growers. Second, industry brings a
significant -- typically 1 to 1 -- funding
commitment to projects. Regitnig’s
seasoned team performs the work
efficiently and reports its findings to a
very high standard. Finally, Lantic’s
smooth-running extension effort means
that new agronomic information can be
quickly translated into field practices.
Among the extension methods used are
springtime agronomy meetings, an annual
report and electronic project summaries
emailed to growers.
Lantic’s agronomy research program has consistently delivered the goods. Regitnig moved to
southern Alberta in 1997, following 13 years with the company in Manitoba. Over the past
18 years, average sugar beet yields in Alberta have increased by 5 tonnes per acre, or roughly
20%.
Fertilization, tillage, replanting
As Regitnig explains, several ACIDF-funded projects have studied fertilization practices.
“Most nitrogen for sugar beet production is broadcast in the spring,” he says, “but we see
opportunity for banding nitrogen in-season.”
Zone tillage has been another area of work, especially as it pertains to GPS guidance
systems. Regitnig and his team aim to bring the benefits of precision agriculture to sugar beet
production, while mitigating any associated risks. Apart from operating costs, ACIDF’s
contribution also helped cover capital costs for acquiring tillage equipment and GPS
technology.
During the 2015 growing season, Regitnig is wrapping a six-year ACIDF-funded study into
different scenarios for replanting sugar beets.
“Under certain situations – such as an early-season frost or when winds blow the plants out
– you may have to replant the crop,” he says. “Based on this work, we’ll have some good
data to instruct growers on how to make their replanting decisions.”
Keep looking forward
Sugar beet production in Alberta has advanced significantly in the last decade. The
introduction of glyphosate-resistant beets in 2009 simplified weed control and reduced the
incidence of herbicide-injured crops. The tools and techniques of precision farming continue
to change how sugar beets can be grown. Lantic’s ongoing variety testing has brought betterperforming sugar beets from international markets to Alberta.
Peter Regitnig believes that many key agronomic questions around sugar beet production
have now been answered. He notes that ACIDF’s contribution to this mission has been
significant, and most helpful.
Regitnig and his team will continue to work on innovative ways to get more and better beets
from every acre. The agronomic tools of the trade may evolve, but after three decades, his
passion is as strong as ever.
“The people in this industry have been good to work with,” says Regitnig. “A lot of people
say this is a crop that gets in your blood, and that’s definitely been the case for me. It’s an
intensively managed crop with many different aspects to it, and I’ve enjoyed working with it
all these years.”