Following the outstanding market success of the CONVISO SMART system for effective and sustainable weed control and the variety portfolio with high Cercospora protection based on CR+ genetics, KWS is further expanding its innovation leadership in sugarbeet seeds with the introduction of combination varieties.
With this year's growing season, highly innovative varieties are available in several European countries that combine the advantages of the CONVISO® SMART system with the high Cercospora protection of CR+. With the slogan "The ultimate DUO", KWS advertises the combination of these two important product segments.
"CONVISO SMART and CR+ are already unique success stories that demonstrate our market-leading innovative strength in the breeding of sugarbeet seeds," explained Dr. Peter Hofmann, Member of the Executive Board, who is also responsible for the Sugarbeet Business Unit. "With the introduction of new combination varieties, we are supporting sustainable and competitive sugarbeet cultivation in Europe and at the same time strengthening our future growth."
The new varieties will be offered in the 2025 growing season in the markets of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Romania and Slovakia, with other markets to follow in the coming years.
Additional Information
The CONVISO SMART system, developed by KWS and Bayer CropScience, offers an efficient and sustainable way to control weeds in sugarbeet cultivation. The use of the system can increase the effectiveness of sugarbeet compared to classic weed control and at the same time reduce the number of treatments and the application rate of herbicides and thus chemical pesticides.
CR+ varieties offer a powerful additional tool to combat Cercospora, a leaf disease in sugarbeet cultivation that can lead to yield losses of up to 50 percent. About two-thirds of the world's cultivated area is at risk of moderate to high Cercospora pressure. Observations show that the disease is conquering new territory by spreading from south to north in the long term.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, both innovations contributed around 50 percent to total sales in the Sugarbeet segment (EUR 865 million).
For more information, visit www.kws.com.