Conviso Smart technology has fundamentally changed sugar beet cultivation and significantly improved weed control. The aim of this work is to assess the composition of weed vegetation in stands of Smart sugar beet varieties under real growing conditions. The selected plots are located in the cadastral territories of Babice and Mlad & ecaron;jovice municipalities (Olomouc Region, Czech Republic). Weed infestation was assessed using the phytocoenological relev & eacute;s method. At present, Conviso Smart technology is showing excellent efficacy against weeds even under operational conditions. However, the high popularity and frequent use of the Conviso One herbicide may create conditions for the development of resistance and the subsequent spread of resistant weed species. Common species that may pose a problem in the future include Amaranthusretroflexus, Chenopodium album, C. strictum, Echinochloa crus-galli, Cirsium arvense, Convolvulus arvensis, Equisetum arvense, Aethusa cynapium, Setaria pumila and Veronica spp. Other forms of the Beta genus can also be introduced into crops with sugar beet seeds, such as Beta vulgarisf. rubra and B . vulgarisf. herba inutilis. In recent years, new nonnative species (neophytes) such as Abutilon theophrasti, Amaranthuspowellii, A. viridis and Conyza canadensis have also been spreading. In weed control, it is necessary to adhere to the principles of an anti resistance strategy, in particular alternating herbicides with different active ingredients in previous crops, using non chemical methods of weed control, such as robotics, and regularly monitoring weed infestation with a focus on the occurrence of potentially resistant species. It is also advisable to maintain a sensitive part of the weed population, for example on untreated plot edges, which can help to reduce selection pressure and delay the development of resistance.
In 2025, seven sites were included in the final evaluation for registration. Based on the obtained results, eleven sugar beet varieties were registered this year-eight resistant to beet nematode and three traditional varieties. Among these, four Conviso Smart varieties tolerant to ALS inhibitors were registered. Varieties are registered based on the achieved index values; this is a composite indicator expressing a variety's performance parameters relative to the average of the control varieties. After two years of testing, the index value must be at least 102.0 in each year of testing and in the same variants (without fungicide treatment and with fungicide treatment), and the average yield must be at least 97%. After three years of testing, one traditional variety will be registered. In this case, the index must reach at least 101.5 as a threeyear average in at least one of the tested variants, and the yield must be at least 97%.
Sugar beet was once one of the most important field crops in Croatia, but in recent years there has been a drastic decline in production area and profitability. This paper analyzes the causes of this decline, including unfavorable market conditions, agroclimatic challenges, reduced profitability, and competition from countries with lower production costs. Special emphasis is placed on the impact of the abolition of sugar quotas in the EU and the increase in cheap sugar imports, which further threaten sugar beet production. Through analysis of statistical data, economic calculations, and a review of subsidies within the framework of the EU Common Agri cultural Policy, the paper considers possibilities for revitalizing the sector. Although production linked subsidies and national production incentive programs have been introduced, their effectiveness de pends on the stability of the market and purchase prices.
International trade in sugar represents one of the key components of agricultural trade, both in terms of value and volume. Despite the current transformation of food preferences and pressures for healthier diets, sugar remains a strategic commodity important for the stability of the food system and for the revenues of many countries. This study analyzes the development of global sugar trade between 2014 and 2024, focusing on the territorial structure of exports and imports, the flows in volume and value, the evolution of unit kilogram prices, and the competitiveness aspects of individual regions and major players. The results show that total world sugar exports increased from USD 26.5 billion in 2014 to USD 35.0 billion in 2024, while the traded volumes remained almost stable (53.7 million tons in 2014 compared to 56.3 million tons in 2024). This development indicates that trade dynamics were driven mainly by price growth-the average unit value of exports rose from 0.49 USD & centerdot;kg(-1) to 0.62 USD & centerdot;kg(-1). In terms of territorial structure, Latin America strengthened its position, especially Brazil, which consolidated its role as a global leader. Asia remains the dominant importing region, but North America is also increasing its import role. The European Union is emerging as an exporter of higher valueadded products while simultaneously reducing its import dependence. Competitiveness analysis suggests that Brazil and other Latin American countries benefit from comparative advantages arising from production scale and low unit costs, while Europe and some advanced economies rely on differentiation and higher export quality.
In relation to the establishment of conditions for fulfilling the GAEC7d standard (reduction of field area), the impact of machinery movements across fields was evaluated, particularly in terms of undesirable soil compaction at headlands. The benefits of turning machinery on a strip of permanent grassland adjacent to the field edge were demonstrated. This organization of field traffic helps to reduce undesirable soil compaction in the productive field area. Measurements were carried out on experimental plots of the Agro & Rcaron;isuty company during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The model field is located at the border of the Benesov and Vlasim highlands at an altitude of 420 m. The soil in this location is light, loamy-sandy cambisol.
French sugar industry is facing both growing competition from major global sugar producers and uncertainty caused by complex developments in the global economy and the geopolitical situation surrounding the war in Ukraine. To remain competitive, EU countries have been restructuring their production capacities since 2017, resulting in the closure of sugar factories. The most significant number of sugar factories (six) were closed in France. The Tereos and Cristal Union cooperatives dominate the French market. France is the world's fifth largest sugar exporter (most exports go to EU markets). The main competitive advantages of the French sugar industry are high yields, production quality, innovative capacity, logistical infrastructure, and the good reputation of the French food industry. Competitive disadvantages include high labor costs, high energy prices, and other inputs, especially fertilizers and plant protection products.
This article describes the development trends of Vietnamese sugar industry from its origins in the 18th century to the present day. The text includes factors that have significantly influenced the sector's growth, such as government initiatives to support production and the use of mechani zation. On the other hand, it also addresses the challenges the industry has faced throughout its development, including high production costs, limited cultivation areas, climate change, and the import of cheap sugar from abroad, particularly from Thailand. Attention is also paid to the continuously increasing demand for sugar and its consumption in the country. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that the sugar industry in Vietnam remains a sector subject to a high degree of state regulation and protection. However, its future trajectory will largely depend on further technological advancements.
Excise duties are used to tax products that have a negative impact on health or the environment, such as alcohol and fuel. The aim of this paper was to compare the tax burden on alcohol in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria. The taxation of alcohol is partially harmonised in these countries due to the European Union, which sets the subject of the tax and minimum rates. In addition to excise duty, valueadded tax also affects the level of alcohol taxation. It has been pointed out that the Czech Republic has the highest rates of indirect taxation for both excise duty on alcohol and valueadded tax, which reduces tax competition, especially in border areas. Using real prices, it has been shown that the lowest price of the selected commodity (1 L of vodka with 40% alcohol) is in the Czech Republic, with a slightly higher price in Germany and the highest in Austria. As the price increases, indirect taxation decreases. This shows that a competitive environment may exist on the border between the Czech Republic and Austria, but this is not due to a lower tax burden.
The total of 22 sugar beet varieties were added to the list of recommended varieties in 2025. The varieties are divided and evaluated according to their resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. The trials were based on 8 locations, and all of them were used for the final evaluation. The list of recommended sugar beet varieties is published every year by the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture (& Uacute;KZ & Uacute;Z) commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. Those who take part in the process are Sugar Beet Growers Associations, sugar companies and seed firms. The overall indicator, the INDEX, expresses parameters of a variety in relation to the average of the whole tested assortment on a relative scale.
Sugar is one of the key commodities traded and primarily serves to satisfy basic human needs. This article aims to analyze the consumption habits and perceptions of beet sugar among university students. The survey involved 150 students from Mendel University in Brno; they were asked about their habits and opinions on beet sugar using a 12 question questionnaire. The results were processed using canonical correspondence analysis. The respondents' answers were divided into two groups; the first group uses sugar more often for baking or cooking and prefers pastries, homemade products, and jams. When buying sugar, they focus on its type and price and prefers beet sugar. The second group uses sugar mainly to sweeten drinks or does not use it at all. These people prefer cookies and sweetened drinks, and when deciding they take into account the color of the sugar and the manufacturer. This group is more oriented toward highly processed foods, and the product brand is a key criterion. For the younger generation, sugar is gradually losing its role as a traditional food and it is becoming more of an ingredient in industrially manufactured products. To maintain sugar beet and sugar production in the Czech Republic and the European Union, the "farm to fork" strategy can be leveraged.
The number of plants per unit area in sugar beet cultivation is important for success, yield, and root quality. This study aimed to analyze different plant sowing densities from 60,000 to 140,000 plants per hectare. A field trial was conducted at two locations in eastern Croatia over the period of two years; the study included four sugar beet varieties, two C type (high sugar content), Colonia and Danton, and two NC type (standard sugar content), Serenada and Fred. The average root sugar content increased with increasing number of plants per unit area. The highest sugar content was found in roots at 140,000 plants per 1 ha (1.54 seed units (U) per 1 ha) (13.4% in 2014 and 15.6% in 2015), and the lowest sugar content was recorded when sowing 1.00 U center dot ha(-1) (60,000 plants per 1 ha) (12.8% in 2014 and 15.3% in 2015). In general, averaged over both years and locations, the best results were achieved by sowing 1.54 and 1.33 U center dot ha(-1), corresponding to about 100,000 to 120,000 plants per 1 ha at harvest. The highest root yield (82.8 t center dot ha(-1)) and white sugar yield (10.3 t center dot ha(-1)) were achieved at a sowing rate of 1.33 U center dot ha(-1) (120,000 plants per 1 ha), while the highest average root sugar content (14.5%) was achieved at 1.54 U center dot ha(-1).
The stem and bulb nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci) is a sugar beet pest that has become increasingly important in recent years, particularly in Europe. While the beet nematode (Heterodera schachtii) has lost its economic importance due to resistant beet varieties, D. dipsaci is an increasing risk. It is a freeliving migratory endoparasite with a very wide host plant range (up to 500 species) and the ability to survive in the soil in an anabiotic state for up to 20 years. Infestation of beet leads to leaf curdling, hypocotyl swelling and, later, decomposition of the tuber crown. Yield losses can be as high as 100 %, especially in cold and wet springs. The most significant occurrences have been recorded in Germany and Switzerland. Direct chemical protection is limited, and currently available products are ineffective or not approved. Indirect protection consists of the choice of sowing and harvesting dates, crop rotation and weed control. Research into beet resistance has not yet yielded satisfactory results. Further research should focus on studying the penetration of larvae into beet plants and, within the Czech Republic, on the potential harmfulness of local nematode populations on other crops and on monitoring the situation in the country.
Over the past many years, the beet and sugar industries have had to cope with a number of unfavourable factors that have made their production very uncertain. These include the introduction of excise duties on products containing sugar or other sweeteners and applies in particular to sweetened beverages. These measures are not entirely without problems, not only in practical terms, but also from a legal point of view, particularly constitutional law. The present text illustrates this issue in its entirety using the example of the Polish law imposing excise duty on selected sweetened beverages. The text also shows, with references to the relevant case law of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, the difference in the constitutional limits when the legislator uses purely tax or fiscal arguments, as opposed to when they strive to achieve an objective other than a purely pragmatic increase in tax revenue. Although this may not seem important from a pragmatic point of view, from the perspective of a possible constitutional review it may be relevant how correct and wellfounded the legislator's reasoning was in enforcing a new regulation affecting fundamental rights and freedoms.
The year 2025 was unfavorable for sugar beet pests in the Czech Republic. In the spring, damage was caused by Chaetocnema spp. and Aphis fabae, moreover, the ban on neonicotinoid seed treatments resulted in higher damage from wireworms. The hot and dry June favored the occurrence of Scrobipalpa ocellatella and Tetranychus urticae, which were reduced by the cold and rainy July. In September and October, damage was caused mostly by moth caterpillars. The most common species was Lacanobia oleracea.
The paper presents the sugar factory in Hru & scaron;ovany nad Jevi & scaron;ovkou. In its second part, it outlines the factory's history after 2006, addressing technological processes, employment and social impacts, as well as the logistics of transporting raw beet by rail, which covered up to 30% of capacity. Last but not least, it analyzes the 2025 plant closure within the broader context of the liberalization of the European sugar market and the future of sugar production in the Czech Republic and Central Europe.
The aim of the article is to compare greenhouse gas emissions from sugar beet production used for biofuel production in several NUTS 2 regions of the European Union and to assess the competitiveness of sugar beet grown in the Czech Republic. There, greenhouse gas emissions from sugar beet production reach values in the range of 93-112 kgCO2(eq) kg dry matter(-1); in Germany the range is 68-102 kg CO2eq kg dry matter(-1), in Austria it is 109-124 kg CO2eq kg dry matter(-1) and in France the range is 97-132 kgCO(2eq) kg drymatter(-1). The article also compares the values of some input data for calculating emissions in various EU countries, such as the consumption of fertilizers for beet fertilization and fuels related to cultivation operations.
DA small-plot multi-factorial field experiment was carried out at the experimental base of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra in 2018-2019. The experiment was based on the method of randomized complete block design in three repetitions. The area of the experimental base on which the experiment took place is a maize production area and is characterized by warm and dry weather. Winter common wheat was chosen as the pre-crop. The experiment monitored the influence of biostimulants Nano Gro and Natural Plon on polarized sugar yield, white sugar content and the content of molasses-forming substances. When evaluating the effect of other factors of the experiment on the observed parameters, a significant influence of the year on white sugar content, potassium and alpha-aminoN was proven. According to the results, the year 2018 was characterized by higher polarized sugar yield and higher white sugar content and lower values of molasses-forming substances, while on the contrary the results of the year 2019 showed higher content of molasses-forming substances (K+, Na+, alpha-aminoN) and lower values of polarized sugar yield and white sugar content. A significant effect of the variety was detected on polarized sugar yield, white sugar content, potassium, sodium and alpha-aminoN content. The highest polarized sugar yield was achieved by the Brian variety, the highest white sugar content was achieved by the Kosmas variety, and the lowest potassium content and alpha-aminoN content were achieved by the Brian variety. The Galvani variety achieved the lowest sodium content among the varieties. Similar to the previous factors, the application of biostimulants had a significant effect on parameters such as polarized sugar yield, potassium, sodium and alpha-aminoN content. Naturalny Plon biostimulant significantly increased the yield of polarized sugar, the content of sodium and the content of alpha-aminoN in beet juice. In the case of the application of Naturalny Plon, a significantly lower potassium content in beet juice was recorded compared to the control. Nano Gro biostimulant significantly increased polarized sugar yield compared to the control. The application of Nano Gro biostimulant also demonstrably reduced the potassium content, sodium content and alpha-aminoN content in beet juice.
This article describes the historical development and selected trends in the production of sugarcane and sugar in Chile, focusing on key stages from the colonial era to the present and analyzing significant changes in the agricultural sector. It discusses the transformations brought about by colonial practices, land reforms, and political and economic crises that have shaped the character of Chilean sugar industry. It also examines modern factors such as geographical and climatic limits, the decline in domestic production, and the increase in sugar imports, highlighting the importance of sugar consumption regulation and the need to adapt to changing environmental and economic conditions.
