2026
Trials on demo plots in the sugar-beet-growing regions of Ukraine of hybrids from the portfolio of SESVANDERHAVE Ukraine in 2025 showed high results across all parameters. Especially under conditions where the drought problem was not so acute. Thus, for some of the hybrids in the west of Ukraine an average of 90-100 t/ha was obtained. "On average" means that on individual plots the yield reached 100 t/ha and more.
…Recently, events have been taking place on the European beet-growing market that are changing the picture both in the breeding of this crop and in the production segment. Several well-known breeding companies have united under one "roof", thus consolidating their experience, knowledge, capacities and specialists — to reach new levels of world beet growing. This process has not bypassed Ukraine either. And now our farmers have the opportunity to benefit from this union and get a wider choice from the list of hybrids that are now available on the domestic market too.
The new European union is called UBS (United Beet Seeds).
"The company SESVANDERHAVE-Ukraine has the opportunity to offer 5 sugar beet seed brands on the Ukrainian market. These are well-known trademarks such as SESVANDERHAVE, HILLESHOG, MARIBO, FLORIMOND DESPREZ, SEEDEX," said Serhii Horobets, commercial director of SESVANDERHAVE Ukraine.
He added that his company is "responsible" for the activity of the united brand in our country. In connection with this, the available hybrid portfolio was, so to speak, "put through a sieve" — those that best meet the needs of Ukrainian sugar beet producers were kept, and by the same criteria new items from the united brand's portfolio were added.
Direct access to information, trial results and data on how all the hybrids available in this portfolio perform under different conditions in commercial crops across Europe made it possible to choose the most suitable and most promising ones for the conditions of Ukraine. And the updated domestic legislation opened up the possibility to register the new items as quickly as possible, which are already being grown both on demo fields and in commercial crops.
"When we bring hybrids to the Ukrainian market, we take into account how they perform in one or another European country. First of all these are Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Germany. Today the hybrid registration system in Ukraine has become much simpler. If it is registered in Europe, we can register it in Ukraine within a month, instead of 2-3 years, as it was before. So we took the hybrids that performed best in European lands close to our agro-climatic conditions, now they also show high results in Ukraine," says Serhii Horobets.
Among the main issues that breeding helps to solve and which are relevant for Ukrainian beet growers is, in particular, drought. Of course, nothing can be opposed to this problem 100%, but growing drought-tolerant hybrids in regions with a constant moisture deficit is one of the elements of its comprehensive solution.
"Drought tolerance as one of the important characteristics of a hybrid is quite relevant for Ukraine. In particular for the eastern part of the beet-growing area. After all, in the same Poltava and Cherkasy regions, if you compare them with the western regions — Lviv, Ternopil, Rivne — the annual amount of precipitation is at least twice as low," the expert emphasised.
The second problem is nematode. This is perhaps the very first characteristic that farms with a high "nematode" background in the fields in a beet rotation should pay attention to. Because it can only be partially controlled by agrochemical methods, but a significant part of the success will be ensured by a nematode-resistant/tolerant hybrid.
In the updated hybrid portfolio of SESVANDERHAVE Ukraine there are about a dozen and a half such products, says Serhii Horobets.
Modern genetics also helps to resist diseases. The most widespread of them are root rots. Also relevant for Ukraine is the leaf disease cercospora. For each of the problems that a farmer knows on their fields, a hybrid with the appropriate characteristics can be selected from those already registered — both those that have been sown in our lands for several years and those recently brought to the domestic market. And not only those that solve "problems", but also perform "tasks": maturity groups (early/late lifting), leaf surface size (more photosynthesis — more sugar accumulation), tolerance to a spectrum of diseases, suitability for production technologies (Conviso Smart, Classic), etc.
Serhii Horobets was ready to talk in detail about practically every item of the 4 dozen that are currently in the company's portfolio. Let us dwell in more detail on a few that last year in demonstration and commercial crops performed best — both in terms of yield and sugar content.
"In the Ternopil and Khmelnytskyi regions we obtained around 90 t/ha. Plus or minus — depending on the location. In places we even recorded 100 t/ha. In the Cherkasy and Poltava regions it was around 60 t/ha, because last year there was practically no precipitation in the region," the specialist said.
Say, FITIS — a nematode-tolerant hybrid, resistant to the cyst-forming nematode.
It also has high resistance to low-sugar syndrome (SBR). In Ukraine the hybrid was registered in 2024, and meets other criteria of resistance to threats:
- nematode resistance — 9
- root rot resistance — 7
- drought resistance — 8
- cercospora resistance — 9
- powdery mildew resistance — 7
- ramularia resistance — 6
- rhizomania resistance — 9
Yield potential 100+ t/ha:
Ternopil region: yield — 100.8 t/ha, sugar content — 17.8%
Khmelnytskyi region: yield — 85.06 t/ha, sugar content — 17.74%
ASPEN — a classic hybrid, among the newest in SESVANDERHAVE breeding, year of registration in Ukraine — 2025. An NZ-type hybrid, harmonised in high yield and sugar content.
It was tested last year in the Poltava, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil regions. In all regions it showed high results.
"The ASPEN hybrid is a favourite in European countries, especially in Hungary, productive under dry conditions. Resistant to rhizomania and cercospora, resistant to beet 'rubberiness' and resistant to root rots. The pride of the breeders. We recommend it for medium and late lifting dates," says Serhii Horobets.
- root rot resistance — 8
- drought resistance — 8
- cercospora resistance — 9
- powdery mildew resistance — 6
- ramularia resistance — 6
- rhizomania resistance — 9
Yield potential 100+ t/ha:
Ternopil region: yield — 106.8 t/ha, sugar content — 17.9%
Khmelnytskyi region: yield — 90.4 t/ha, sugar content — 16.67%
Cherkasy region: yield — 70.2 t/ha, sugar content — 17.5%
HAMELEON — also a standard classic hybrid. On fields free of nematodes it gives very high yields with the same sugar content indicators. Also a novelty registered in 2025. In tests in all beet-growing regions it showed high results.
"The HAMELEON hybrid has been the sales leader in Spain since 2024, as well as in Germany and other EU countries. Highly productive even under dry conditions. Generally resistant to stresses, highly resistant to cercospora and rhizomania. It also resists root rot pathogens. Intended for medium and late harvest dates," Mr Serhii adds details.
- root rot resistance — 8
- drought resistance — 7
- cercospora resistance — 9
- powdery mildew resistance — 6
- ramularia resistance — 6
- rhizomania resistance — 9
Yield potential 100+ t/ha:
Ternopil region: yield — 109 t/ha, sugar content — 17.9%
Khmelnytskyi region: yield — 105.2 t/ha, sugar content — 17.9%
Cherkasy region: yield — 67.1 t/ha, sugar content — 17.7%
Poltava region: yield — 60.8 t/ha, sugar content — 18.9%
Geneticists and breeders in the beet segment are also working fruitfully in the direction of herbicide-tolerant technologies for this crop. Now the Conviso Smart technology is becoming increasingly widespread. In the updated SESVANDERHAVE Ukraine portfolio there is also a number of hybrids for this system.
Among the new items one can name, for example, PRIMOT SMART. This hybrid does not have high nematode resistance, but it accumulates sugar very well and is at the same time suitable for early lifting, says Serhii Horobets. Also a novelty of 2025 on the Ukrainian market. It was present on almost all demo plots of the beet-growing regions of Ukraine — from East to West, where it showed high results.
"The most promising hybrid. Demand already exceeds the planned amount of seed for sale. It led in the 2025 trials in terms of sugar content. One of the most widespread in Spain, France and other EU countries. Recommended for early and medium harvest dates," the specialist adds.
And he also emphasises its high resistance to cercospora, root rots. And it also performs well under conditions of moisture deficit.
- root rot resistance — 8
- drought resistance — 8
- cercospora resistance — 9
- powdery mildew resistance — 6
- ramularia resistance — 6
- rhizomania resistance — 9
Yield potential 100+ t/ha: Ternopil region: yield — 102.2 t/ha, sugar content — 17.9%
KAPRA SMART — the newest SESVANDERHAVE breeding hybrid for the Conviso Smart technology in Ukraine, with maximum yield and sugar output per hectare. It stands out for its nematode tolerance.
"KAPRA SMART is characterised by resistance to the main diseases, including the beet nematode. Growing period 180-190 days. It has excellent resistance to 'bolting' and quickly closes the leaves between the rows. It is widely used in Italy and other EU countries, where it occupies leading positions. Recommended for medium and late harvest dates," Serhii Horobets adds.
- nematode resistance — 9
- root rot resistance — 8
- drought resistance — 8
- cercospora resistance — 8
- powdery mildew resistance — 7
- ramularia resistance — 6
- rhizomania resistance — 9
Yield potential 100+ t/ha:
Ternopil region: yield — 95.8 t/ha, sugar content — 17.8%
Khmelnytskyi region: yield — 78.4 t/ha, sugar content — 17.32%
We have named only 5 of the several dozen items in the SESVANDERHAVE Ukraine hybrid catalogue, which will now be presented under the united UBS brand. Here you can find the necessary product for the spectrum of farmers' needs. In addition, according to Serhii Horobets, at the company's seed plant you can order seed treatment according to the problems in producers' fields — enhance insecticide or fungicide protection, or make an individual seed treatment.
Consultations on hybrid selection can be obtained both from the company's specialists and from the distributors it works with. Say, the exclusive partner for the sale of the SESVANDERHAVE and SEEDEX trademarks is LNZ Group. Its specialists will advise not only on hybrid selection, but also recommend crop protection and nutrition technologies.
And technology is precisely the component that can maximally support the genetics embedded in a hybrid, Serhii Horobets is convinced.
"Today hybrids have already reached such a quality that any hybrid, with the right agro-technological measures, sufficient moisture, temperature regimes, correct use of agrochemistry in protection, proper fertilisation with macro- and microelements, can be 'pulled up' to the indicators that are embedded in them by genetics. Such a combination is the factor of success," the specialist sums up.
He adds that, of course, much more could be said about all the available sugar beet seed hybrids of all the available brands, but this cannot be done within the framework of one article. And he notes that with questions you can always turn directly to the specialists of SESVANDERHAVE Ukraine or to the company's official website.
