Use of Biostimulants in the Sugar Beet Field

Did you notice that we already harvested some sugar beets in June? An early harvest? No. It’s part of a field trial. We’re conducting a strip trial with biostimulants in our sugar beet field. For this, we dug up and evaluated a few plants.

What’s the idea behind this?
Liquid biostimulants contain, for example, algae extracts or humic acids (not traditional fertilizers). In theory, they’re supposed to increase biomass and improve stress tolerance. At Swiss Future Farm, we’re testing the effect of using biostimulants in the field.

Key details of the trial field:

• Cultivation: Strip-Till, Cambridge roller; variety: BTS Smart 4825; sowing in mid-March 2026 (100,000 seeds/ha)
• Pest control: Total herbicide (end of March 2026), slug bait (early April 2026), 2 applications of Conviso (April/May)
• Experimental design: Control vs. biostimulants
• Biostimulant application: 3 applications between the 2-leaf stage and row closure using a field sprayer

Assessment:

• Beet weight (with and without leaves)
• Beet diameter
• Beet length

Results of the assessment (June 15, 2026):

• Biostimulants result in more uniform stands
• Beets treated with biostimulants have a higher weight, longer roots, and a larger beet diameter
• Another benefit of biostimulants may be increased stress resistance during drought.

As early as 2025, a trial using effective microorganisms and biostimulants yielded interesting results when the treatment was applied at the time of sowing.

→ Read more in the 2025 Annual Report