Written question asked by Baroness Andrews (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 February 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 March 2023. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Friday, 10 March 2023 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Sugar Beet

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the rate of Virus Yellows in sugar beet.

Answer: The rate of incidence of YV may vary year-to-year, influenced by environmental conditions. The rate is not yet known at the time of planting sugar-beet, however. There is a means to predict the scale of threat. That is through the YV incidence prediction model developed and run by Rothamsted Research. This provides, a forecast of the level of YV infection that will be reached in August, in the absence of any plant protection intervention. Making the prediction on 1 March allows the model to take account of preceding winter temperatures, which are important in determining the likely incidence of YV. Forecast for Yellows Virus incidence from Rothamsted Research for 2023 is 67.5%.

Secondary information