NFU Sugar has expressed concerns regarding the information provided by British Sugar to growers who purchased the beet variety 'Jackdaw'.

The variety is not listed on the 2024 Recommended List (RL), prompting NFU Sugar to call for more data on it.

British Sugar sold out of available stock of beet cyst nematode (BCN) tolerant varieties on the RL, leaving some growers in need of BCN-tolerant seed.

NFU Sugar reports that British Sugar provided growers with a two-page factsheet containing data on the variety's performance, sourced from the breeder.

However, NFU Sugar criticises this data as lacking independent verification and essential agronomic information such as disease infection scores.

NFU Sugar highlight: “It is vital growers have the information necessary to make informed agronomic decisions when growing any variety, which is one reason the RL exists,

“NFU Sugar strongly believes growers should have been provided with a three-year dataset consistent with the RL data available for all other marketed varieties, which will have been generated if Jackdaw was submitted into the process.

“This would provide growers with consistent, detailed and independent data to support decision making.”

NFU Sugar suggests that better management of the contracting and seed sale process by British Sugar could have alleviated or avoided the situation.