BBC Farming Today   Wednesday 3rd June 2015 

Introduction by Anna Hill states that there is nothing that can be done to stop the mangold fly munching the leaves.

Not True  –  this is incorrect

RB Worths Farms Lincolnshire:

We have 115 acres of sugar beet affected by the Mangold Fly.

Manager Tom Macfarlan and Farmer Andy Worth show Anna Hill round the farm

Tom Macfarlan says that if the seed hadn’t been treated they would have lost all the crop already

Eight miles away at Long Sutton the same thing is occurring There is at least 20 eggs on each leaf.

Anna Hill says “Let’s us see what the scientists have to say”

Down in Norwich with Dr. Mark Stevens of BBRO The  British Sugar Beet Research Organisation which is funded by farmers and British Sugar:  At the moment we are restricted in what insecticides we can use and so we have to investigate another range of insecticides. At Holby Beech will be testing these insecticides to see which we can use.

We have got to find a solution to this problem. It is not a problem we can solve with a breeding approach. We need a chemical approach. We are collecting adult (flies) on about 30 sites at the moment and Crop Scouts are also monitoring for the eggs and we have the field trials also in place. We are interacting with the growers and the agronomists.

Researcher and grower Richard Higgins has researched this for over 20 years and has a solution to this problem. 

 Call Crop pest and disease consultant Richard Higgins and solve this problem. Telephone number 07983439171

Saving you money on failed crops.

Eight and a half thousand farmers currently grow sugar beet in the UK. 

115 acres of sugar beet would normally sell at around £25 per ton with yields of 71 tons/ha. If this crop fails estimated loss will be £81.5K plus inputs and tillage.

I have repeatedly invited Farming Today to visit my farm. They still haven’t taken up the offer.