Sugar beet plays an important role as a break crop in the arable rotation. Since its host pests and diseases generally differ from those of combinable crops, the cultivation of sugar beet therefore reduces disease and pest levels, contributing to reduced pesticide applications. 

Sugar beet also reduces fertiliser requirements for the following cereal crop by providing plant residues that break down to release nutrients over a long period.

Growing sugar beet increases biodiversity, particularly for bird life. The three main areas of benefit are:

• cereal stubbles left prior to spring drilling provide winter habitat for seed eating species
• sugar beet fields are a valuable source of winter cover and food after harvest
• spring sugar beet fields provide nesting sites for ground nesting birds

A wide variety of species benefit from sugar beet in this way, including internationally important populations of stone curlews and pink footed geese.

Through advice to growers and a programme of beet sampling, British Sugar has helped farmers to cut their usage of nitrogen fertiliser on the sugar beet crop by more than 30 per cent since 1980. Sugar beet now has the lowest nitrogen usage of any major arable crop in the UK.

British Sugar has pioneered improvements in seed treatment technology which have led to the 'micro application' of pesticides to the seed and the seed coating so as to reduce the number and level of surface applications in the field and hence reduce environmental loading. Seventy per cent of the crop now receives no sprayed insecticide at all.

Pests and diseases are actively monitored allowing careful targeting of pesticides and herbicides, avoiding 'blanket' treatments and reducing environmental loading. In the period 1982 to 1998 there has been a 52 per cent reduction in total volume of pesticides used on the crop; a corresponding 63 per cent reduction in herbicides and a massive 95 per cent reduction in organochlorine, organophosphate and carbamate insecticides.

The whole beet sugar industry is working closely with DEFRA and other interested parties to build on recent achievements and develop a sustainable strategy for the future.