Söllingen, February 17, 2023 – The German Bundessortenamt has approved the first Virus Yellows tolerant sugar beet variety for plant breeder Strube D&S GmbH. It will be widely available for the sowing season 2024.

Strubes’ new sugar beet variety ST Yellowstone offers the much needed security for farmers and sugar industry in the regions where the Virus Yellowing diseases are increasingly affecting sugar beet cultivation.

ST Yellowstone was tested by the German Bundessortenamt (BSA) in a trial series dedicated to Virus Yellows. In the two years of these trials, ST Yellowstone has affirmed a high tolerance against the two prevalent viruses: Beet Yellow Virus (BYV) and Beet Mild Yellow Virus (BMYV).

Dr Axel Schechert, Head of Sugar Beet Breeding for Strube Research: “This variety surpasses the yields of existing commercial varieties when it is grown under Virus Yellows conditions. That makes it the perfect choice for the regions that are already heavily affected”.

Dr Michael Stange, Global Sugar Beet Crop Lead for Strube D&S, explains further: „What we offer with ST Yellowstone is more than that: it can also be planted in regions that have, until now, only a potential risk of VY infection. Because it also yields very well in conditions without virus”.

It is a breeders’ responsibility to make long forecasts into a crops’ future development. As part of the Deleplanque Group, Strube has taken up Virus Yellows research already in 2015. All varieties with proven tolerance will be collected under the product range VitalY®. In France, five varieties have been registered: ST Congo, ST Galibier, ST Tourmalet, ST Olympe and ST Stromboli. This portfolio provides complete protection: a tolerance against Virus Yellows in combination with tolerances against nematodes, strong rhizomania and cercospora.