This article appears in the November/December 2018 issue of Sugar Producer.
ACH Seeds continues to grow and expand through offering sugarbeet varieties and products developed to meet the ever-changing needs of the sugarbeet industry. This year, a large majority of the sugarbeet acreage was planted to Crystal Beet Seed varieties. With our customers’ management efforts, these are yielding positive results in field reports.
ACH Seeds is responsible for developing and marketing Crystal Beet Seed varieties in the regions of The Amalgamated Sugar Company, Western Sugar Cooperative, Wyoming Sugar Company, Sidney Sugars, Inc, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative and Michigan Sugar Company. Crystal Beet Seed varieties have been adapting and performing for over 100 years on farms across North America. In addition to marketing strong genetics, ACH Seeds prides itself on a high level of customer service through our network of independent sales agents and agronomists with strong ties and experience in sugarbeet production on regional and national levels.
For 2019, ACH Seeds will offer a portfolio of Crystal Beet Seed varieties that maximize returns through high recoverable sugar per ton and per acre, while maintaining and improving disease and pest tolerance traits. With over 40 established varieties available across all markets, ACH Seeds continues to emphasize a strong interaction with sugarbeet growers and collaborating with researchers for continuous improvement to our variety offerings. Our team of sugarbeet specialists is continually developing strong-performing varieties that sugar producers can position for rewarding results.
ACH Seeds is excited for with the introduction of several new varieties that meet or exceed the new benchmark requirements in the upcoming season. One of our field-proven innovations was the implementation of Yield Strength Rhizomania Technology (YSRT), which combines multiple sources of resistances to rhizomania. Another market initiative was the introduction of Diamond Plated sugarbeet seed. The Diamond Plated treatment series provides various combinations and levels of seed treatments to meet specific market needs, while providing industry-leading priming technology.
ACH introduced the National Sugar Bounty Program in 2017, and ran the successful program again for the 2018 crop. The company recognizes growers whose cultural practices utilizing Crystal Beet Seed genetics achieve the highest combined percentage of mean of sugar per acre and sugar per ton in production districts from the respective growing regions of eight U.S. sugar companies. Each district’s high sugar producer is recognized with a plaque and customized Sugar Bounty jacket. The highest district sugar producers from their respective regions are recognized as regional Sugar Bounty recipients and receive a sponsored trip for two to the American Sugarbeet Growers Association (ASGA) annual meeting.
The 2019 ASGA annual meeting is scheduled to be held in Scottsdale, Ariz., Feb. 3-5. Regional high sugar producers are recognized at the Sugar Bounty Reception at the meeting, where the National Sugar Bounty recipient is announced from the eight regional participants and is presented the keys to a customized utility vehicle. The Sugar Bounty Program continues to be a strong initiative highlighting ACH Seeds’ emphasis on excellent sugar yield while also providing customers a high level of disease and pest tolerance. For more information on the National Sugar Bounty Program, contact your ACH Seeds independent sales agent or region manager.
ACH Seeds congratulates sugarbeet growers on their success and looks forward to being a part of that continued success in 2019.