Windels earned a B.S. degree in biology from St. Cloud State College in 1970, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology from the University of Minnesota, St. Paul.  In 1984 she was appointed assistant professor at the Crookston Northwest Experiment Station (now NWROC).  She was promoted to associate professor in 1989 and professor in 1998.  She likewise held an adjunct appointment in the North Dakota State University Department of Plant Pathology.
    Windels became widely known and highly respected for her research in soilborne diseases of sugarbeet, including Aphanomyces, Phythium and Rhizoctonia.  “Her major contributions to the understanding of these diseases and their management have led to her status as a world-renowned expert of sugarbeet diseases,” noted a recent article in Phytopathology News, the newsletter of the American Phytopathological Society (APS), the national professional society of plant pathologists.  “A strong commitment to and close rapport with growers developed through her 28 years of research and extension work.  Her efforts resulted in more than 200 publications, 16 book chapters, and two co-edited books.”
    Windels, who served as the president of APS in 1998-99, received a number of honors and awards during her career.  Among them were the Distinguished Service Award from the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota, the Meritorious Service Award bestowed by the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists, and Fellow of both APS and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Stachler Joins Willowood USA as Northern Plains Account Manager
    Dr. Jeff Stachler has joined Willowood USA as the company’s new regional account manager in its newly created Northern Plains geography.
    Originally from west central Ohio, Stachler earned his B.S. degree in agronomy from Ohio State University.  After completing an M.S. degree at Michigan State University, he returned to Ohio State and earned his Ph.D. there in crop and weed science.
    Stachler was extension sugarbeet weed specialist and assistant professor at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota from 2008 until joining Willowood.  He is the author or co-author of numerous publications in the areas of weed identification and resistance management.  “Jeff is considered by many as an expert in the area of weed resistance management” states Andy King, Willowood USA’s national sales manager.  “Adding a person of Jeff’s caliber to our account management team will not only strengthen our entire sales organization, but will also provide growers in the Northern Plains geography a ‘go-to guy’ for dealing with the ever-present and growing weed resistance issue.”
    Stachler’s territory includes Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.  He is based at Kindred, N.D.
    Willowood USA is an Oregon-based manufacturer of post-patent crop protection herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators and spray additive products for the agriculture and vegetation management industries.


Sugarbeet Scholarship Program Again Sponsored by Syngenta
    Syngenta is accepting applications for its annual Syngenta Sugarbeet Scholarship program through June 14.  Students must submit an essay for judging, and the student with the highest score in each of the five eligible regions will receive $1,500 for his or her college tuition.
    The scholarship program, now in its fourth year, is intended to help equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to the advancement of the sugarbeet industry.  Student entrants must meet the following criteria:  (1) Be a current high school senior or college freshman, sophomore or junior.  (2) Be majoring in (or intending to major in) an agriculture-related field.  (3) Be attending college during the 2013/14 academic year.  (4) Attend school or reside in one of the following sugarbeet-growing regions:
Region 1 — Idaho/Washington; Region 2 — North Dakota; Region 3 — Minnesota; Region 4 — Wyoming/Colorado/Nebraska/Montana; Region 5 — Michigan.  (5) Be involved in 4-H, FFA and/or the sugarbeet industry.
    Applicants can complete the application form found at www.SyngentaSugarbeetScholarship.com.  As part of the application, they will be asked to describe their involvement in 4-H, FFA and/or the sugarbeet industry, and submit an essay in 700 words or less that answers the following question:
    What do you see as the biggest challenge to sugarbeet production or the industry in general, and why?  Also, what do you recommend the industry consider to address this problem?
    Applications are due by June 14, 2013, and can be submitted online or sent to:  Emily Reynolds, Gibbs & Soell, 125 S. Wacker Drive, Ste 2600, Chicago, IL 60606.  She also can be contacted at: phone: (312) 648-6700; fax: (312) 422-0660; email: ereynolds@gibbs-soell.com
    This year’s scholarship winners will be announced in August.  Previous sugarbeet scholarship winners are not eligible for future additional scholarship awards. 
    For further details on the program, visit www.SyngentaSugarbeetScholarship.com.   

    Lapaseotes, who has been a WSC board member since January 2011, was on the board of the Nebraska Sugarbeet Growers Association from 2001 to 2011 and served as that group’s president from 2003 to 2011.  He and his brother, Pete, are third-generation farmers, producing sugarbeets, corn, wheat and alfalfa, along with operating a cow-calf operation and feedlot.  The Lapaseotes brothers are partners in 21st Century Equipment, which operates several farm implement dealerships in the region.  They also are shareholders in Dinklage Feedyards, a commercial
cattle feeding operation in eastern Wyoming, western Nebraska and northeastern Colorado.
    Lapaseotes and his wife, Angie, have two children, Alexa and Nicholas, both of whom are attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

30th International Sweetener Symposium Set for Aug. 2-7
    The 30th International Sweetener Symposium, hosted by the American Sugar Alliance, is scheduled for August 2-7 at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, Calif.  Preliminary information is available on the ASA website — www.sugaralliance.org — with more details coming this spring.
    Traditionally, about 400 individuals from various segments of both the beet and cane sugar industries attend the International Sweetener Symposium to learn about timely issues of significance affecting the sweetener industry and to interact with industry colleagues.   

    The morning program, which begins at 9:30, is comprised of bean-focused presentations.  Two sugarbeet-oriented talks take place following the lunch hour: “Cercospora Management Practices in the Red River Valley: Using Agronomic Data to Maximize Profits,” by Allan Cattanach, general agronomist with American Crystal Sugar Company; and “Reflections on the 2012 Growing Season: Extremes, Climate Trends and Implications to Agriculture,” by Jeffrey Andresen, associate professor and state climatologist, Michigan State University.
    About 100 commercial exhibitors will be in attendance at the 2013 event.  There is no charge to attend.
    For more information, contact Steve Poindexter, MSU extension sugarbeet educator, at (989) 758-2500.

30th International Sweetener Symposium Set for Aug. 2-7
    The 30th International Sweetener Symposium, hosted by the American Sugar Alliance, is scheduled for August 2-7 at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, Calif.  Preliminary information is available on the ASA website — www.sugaralliance.org — with more details coming this spring.
    Traditionally, about 400 individuals from various segments of both the beet and cane sugar industries attend the International Sweetener Symposium to learn about timely issues of significance affecting the sweetener industry and to interact with industry colleagues.
  
Michigan Sugar Marks 10 Years As a Grower-Owned Cooperative
    It has been  10 years since farmers growing beets for Michigan Sugar Company (MSC) bought the company and transformed it into a cooperative.  In October 2004, growers from Monitor Sugar Company merged with the MSC growers to bring the state’s sugarbeet industry under one ownership group.
    As of 2006 — the year when the transition was fully completed, the MSC Carrollton factory was shuttered, efficiencies of the merger were in place, and job positions were fully consolidated — MSC employed 450 people year-round and 1,475 on a seasonal basis.  The current corresponding job numbers are 742 and 1,656.    

    Davison became the cooperative’s chairman 30 years to the month after his father, Earl, was elected to head the Minn-Dak Board of Directors.  Earl Davison served as a Minn-Dak director from 1973 to 1987.
    Dennis Butenhoff of Barnesville, Minn., was elected to succeed Davison as Minn-Dak’s vice chairman.  A board member since 2005, Butenhoff also serves on the board of Midwest Agri-Commodities.
    Board member Dennis Klosterman (Mooreton, N.D.) was elected secretary, and Pat Freese (Kent, Minn.) was elected treasurer.  Current directors Chuck Steiner (Foxhome, Minn.) and Kevin Kutzer (Fairmount, N.D.) were re-elected by their respective districts’ shareholders.
    During the co-op’s annual meeting, Tim Deal of Doran, Minn., was elected by shareholders to a seat on the Minn-Dak Board of Directors.
    Minn-Dak’s 2012 annual meeting was its 40th.   The cooperative recently announced plans for a $70.3 million molasses desugarization add-on facility at its Wahpeton, N.D., factory.

Green Re-elected Crystal Chair; Erickson Now Vice Chairman
     Robert Green, St. Thomas, N.D., was re-elected chairman of the American Crystal Sugar Company Board of Directors during the board’s December 6 reorganizational meeting following the cooperative’s annual meeting.
    Brian Erickson was elected vice chairman at the board meeting.  Erickson, an ACSC director since 2005, farms near East Grand Forks and Ada, Minn.  He also currently serves on the board of directors of Midwest Agri-Commodities.
    Newly elected director Kelly Erickson joined American Crystal’s board at the December meeting.  Erickson, who farms near Hallock, Minn., is currently president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association.  He previously served as president of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.
    Neil Widner of Stephen, Minn., a director since 2000 and former ACSC board chairman, reached his term limit after four consecutive three-year terms of service.

Michigan/Ontario Research Reporting Session Is Jan. 30
    The 2013 Michigan/Ontario Sugarbeet Research Reporting Session is scheduled for January 30 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bay City.  This seventh annual reporting session will cover current sugarbeet research being conducted in the Great Lakes region.  The program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Meal reservations are required.
    For more information about the 2013 research reporting session, contact Steve Poindexter, Michigan State University Extension, Saginaw, at (989) 758-2500.

2013 International Sugarbeet Institute March 13-14  in Fargo
    The 51st edition of the International Sugarbeet Institute will be held March 13 and 14, 2013, at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.  The ISBI is North America’s largest sugarbeet industry trade show.  The 2012 event in Grand Forks, N.D., showcased about 125 exhibitors and drew more than 2,300 visitors.   
    Featured speakers at the 2013 ISBI will be Luther Markwart, executive vice president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, on the 13th; and Howard Dahl, president of Amity Technology, on the 14th.
    Companies desiring exhibiting information for the International Sugarbeet Institute can contact exhibits coordinator Bob Cournia at (218) 281-4681.  Other ISBI-related questions should be directed to Dr. Mohamed Khan, committee chairman, at (701) 231-8596.

37th ASSBT Biennial Meeting Scheduled for Feb. 27-March 2
    The American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding during the organization’s 37th biennial meeting, to be held on February 27-March 2, 2013.  The meeting takes place at the Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.
    The event begins on the 27th with registration, poster setup and the evening President’s Reception.  A general session is held on the morning of the 28th, followed by agricultural and operations technical sessions that afternoon and throughout the next two days.  The 2013 ASSBT meeting concludes with the traditional awards banquet on the evening of March 2.
    Complete meeting information can be found on the ASSBT’s website — www.bsdf-assbt.org.

    “We applaud the decision of these outstanding students to pursue a career in agriculture,” said Tyler Ring, Syngenta crop portfolio manager for sugarbeets.  “Syngenta is honored to support education in the agriculture field, and we wish our scholarship winners the best in their college careers.”
    Each applicant answered an essay question about what has had the biggest impact on the sugarbeet industry and their vision for future improvements.  Applications were evaluated for creativity, flow and professional appeal.  The winners were chosen out of 42 applicants, all with an involvement in 4-H or the National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America).
    One scholarship recipient summarized her thoughts on the future of sugarbeets when she wrote, “By continuing research, selecting for improved characteristics and implementing more efficient farming practices, I believe that the sugarbeet industry will successfully meet the demands of consumers in the years to come.”
    Sugarbeet scholarship opportunities for 2013 will be announced by Syngenta at the American Sugarbeet Growers Association meeting in San Diego, Calif., in February.

Minn-Dak Building $70.3 Million Molasses Desugarization Facility
    Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative began construction this fall on a $70.3 million molasses desugarization add-on to its sugarbeet factory at Wahpeton, N.D.  Construction of the facility, which was formally approved by the co-op’s board of directors in late August, is expected to be finished within two years.
    Minn-Dak shareholders will contribute approximately $24 million toward the project through the 2014 crop campaign.  Sales tax exemptions were approved by Richland County and the State of North Dakota.  About 20 full-time positions will be created by the addition of the desugarization and load-out facility.

37th ASSBT Biennial Meeting Scheduled for Feb. 27-March 2
    The American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding during the organization’s 37th biennial meeting, to be held on February 27-March 2, 2013.  The meeting takes place at the Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.
    The event begins on the 27th with registration, poster setup and the evening President’s Reception.  A general session is held on the morning of the 28th, followed by agricultural and operations technical sessions that afternoon and throughout the next two days.  The 2013 ASSBT meeting concludes with the traditional awards banquet on the evening of March 2.
    Complete meeting information can be found on the ASSBT’s website — www.bsdf-assbt.org.

2013 International Sugarbeet Institute March 13-14  in Fargo
    The 51st edition of the International Sugarbeet Institute will be held March 13 and 14, 2013, at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.  The ISBI is North America’s largest sugarbeet industry trade show.  The 2012 event in Grand Forks, N.D., showcased about 125 exhibitors and drew more than 2,300 visitors.   
    Featured speakers at the 2013 ISBI will be Luther Markwart, executive vice president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, on the 13th; and Howard Dahl, president of Amity Technology, on the 14th.
    Any companies desiring  exhibiting information for the 2013 International Sugarbeet Institute can contact exhibits coordinator Bob Cournia at (218) 281-4681.  Other ISBI-related questions should be directed to Dr. Mohamed Khan, organizing committee chairman, at (701) 231-8596.

Louisiana-Based AUM Now Known as Crompion International
    Baton Rouge, La.-based specialty stainless steel producer American Utility Metals (AUM), LLC has changed its name to Crompion International, LLC. The name change and rebranding come as the company works to expand its global presence and reinforce its focus on creating solutions through new services and additional metallurgists on staff, notes President George Shaffer.
    Since 2000, AUM has supplied and distributed Cromgard, a high-performance, low-nickel stainless steel to a loyal base of worldwide customers in a broad range of industries — including the sugarcane and sugarbeet sectors. During that time, it has evolved into a company that goes beyond a single grade of stainless steel offerings to provide solutions to customers’ needs and now reflects this evolution in its transformation into Crompion International.

Betaseed Hosts Ag Safety Day for Kids in
Three Beet Communities
    Betaseed sponsored, organized and participated in three Progressive Agriculture Safety Day events in September.  This is the third year that Betaseed has been involved with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation.  The first event was held in Wahpeton, N.D., in 2010 and since has expanded to Argyle, Minn., in 2011, and Mitchell, Neb., in 2012.  In 2012, more than 400 third, fourth and fifth graders in these communities received safety training and education on several topics, including fire safety, bike safety, drug awareness, seatbelt safety, PTO safety and grain handling safety.
    Betaseed plans to continue to partner with the Progressive Safety Day Foundation and sponsor these events in areas where sugarbeets are grown.  Betaseed employees Rene Scheurer, Cody Lehman, John Dillman, Jason Evenson and Duane Bernhardson are trained coordinators and are in the planning stages of organizing additional Progressive Agriculture Safety Days for 2013.  The mission of the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Foundation is to provide education and training to make farm, ranch and rural life safer and healthier for children and their communities.

Now That’s One Hefty Sugarbeet Root — 34.5 Lbs Worth
     Sidney Sugars decided to have a little fun during this fall’s harvest, so the ag staff sponsored its first “Big Beet Contest.”  This year’s winner was John Asbeck of the Sugar Valley station (Fairview, N.D.), who brought in this one weighing 34 lbs, 8 oz.  Shown with it in this photo are Sidney Sugars agriculturists Todd Erickson (left) and Duane Peters.  (No word on its sugar content.)

    Wilson is the 54th recipient of this prestigious Dyer Memorial Award, named after the founder of B.W. Dyer & Company, a 109-year-old brokerage company for sweeteners and other foods.
    Wilson played a key role in sugarbeet grower cooperatives’ successful acquisitions of the Amalgamated Sugar Company, Michigan Sugar Company and Western Sugar Company (now Western Sugar Cooperative) in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  More recently, he helped organize Sugar Growers & Refiners, a Louisiana cooperative comprised of cane growers, sugarcane mills and landowners.  Wilson then aided the cooperative as it entered into a joint venture with Cargill, Inc., and Imperial Sugar Company to form Louisiana Sugar Refining (LSR).  LSR built and now operates the nation’s newest cane sugar refinery at Gramercy, La., having opened its doors in 2011.
    During his career, Wilson also has represented numerous other cooperatives engaged in a variety of agricultural sectors.
    Born in Logan, Utah, and raised on a dairy farm that also produced sugarbeets, Wilson graduated from Utah State University and later earned his law degree from the University of Utah.  He served in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer in Vietnam prior to joining Jones, Waldo, where he remains fully active.  He and his wife, Virginia, have six children, 27 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
    In reading Wilson’s Sugar Club award citation, Lonnie Champagne, chief executive officer of Sugar Growers & Refiners, stated:
    “Randon Wilson, you have had a truly distinguished career in which  you have assisted the sugar industry for many years.  You played a major role in the vertical integration of the beet sugar industry and thereby have enabled it to become a far more reliable suppler of sugar to meet the nation’s needs.  More recently, you have also contributed to integration in the cane sugar industry. . . .
    “The impact you have had on the sugar industry has been truly remarkable.  Among other things, our colleagues admire your hard work, dedication, business savvy and negotiating skills.
    “Your many outstanding accomplishments are a credit to the sugar industry.  It is an honor to add your name to the roll of distinguished recipients of the Dyer Memorial Award.”       

37th ASSBT Biennial Meeting Scheduled for Feb. 27-March 2
    The American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding during the organization’s 37th biennial meeting, to be held on February 27-March 2, 2013.  The meeting takes place at the Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.
    The event begins on the 27th with registration, poster setup and the evening President’s Reception.  A general session is held on the morning of the 28th, followed by agricultural and operations technical sessions that afternoon and throughout the next two days.  The 2013 ASSBT meeting concludes with the traditional awards banquet on the evening of March 2.
    Complete meeting information, including registration details, will be posted on the ASSBT’s website — www.bsdf-assbt.org — as it becomes available. 

2013 International Sugarbeet Institute March 13-14 in Fargo
    The 51st edition of the International Sugarbeet Institute will be held March 13 and 14, 2013, at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.  The ISBI is North America’s largest sugarbeet industry trade show.   
    Any companies desiring preliminary exhibiting information for the 2013 International Sugarbeet Institute can contact exhibits coordinator Bob Cournia at (218) 281-4681.  Other ISBI-related questions should be directed to Dr. Mohamed Khan, organizing committee chairman, at (701) 231-8596. 

    “Attendance at this year’s symposium is a must for all industry stakeholders, given the critical state of play of sugar policy with the pending renewal of the farm bill,” according to ASA.  “Will we have a completed farm bill by August, or will it still be a work-in-progress?”
    Other 2012 symposium program topics will include U.S. and world market supply-demand outlooks, and the effect of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements on world sugar policies and U.S. commodity programs.
    The acclaimed Coeur d’Alene Resort is located in scenic northern Idaho, about 30 miles east of Spokane, Wash., and 100 miles south of the Canadian border.  The world-class resort is perched on the shores of spectacular Lake Coeur d’Alene, flanked by the foothills of the Bitterroot Mountains.
    For more details on the 2012 International Sweetener Symposium, visit ASA’s website: www.sugaralliance.org.

Sugarbeet Scholarship Program Again Sponsored by Syngenta
    Continuing its investment in the future of agriculture, Syngenta is accepting applications for the Syngenta Sugarbeet Scholarship program through June 15, 2012. 
    “The Sugarbeet Scholarship is one of many ways Syngenta demonstrates its commitment to and passion for sugarbeet growers and the sugarbeet industry,” explains Tyler Ring, Syngenta’s crop portfolio head for sugarbeets. “Through investments in research and development and partnerships with leaders throughout the sugarbeet industry, Syngenta consistently demonstrates an investment that directly impacts the industry, its leaders and now its future leaders.”
    The four $1,500 scholarship awards are available to students who meet these requirements: 1) Current high school senior interested in agriculture or college freshman, sophomore or junior intending to major in an agriculture-related field, as of fall of 2012;
2) involvement in 4-H, FFA and/or the sugarbeet industry; and 3) reside or attend school in one of the following regions: Region 1 — Idaho/Washington/ Oregon; Region 2 — North Dakota/ Minnesota; Region 3 — Wyoming/Colorado/Nebraska/Montana; Region 4: Michigan.
     Applicants will need to complete the application form at: www.SyngentaSugarbeetScholarship.com. They will be asked to describe their involvement in 4-H, FFA and/or the sugarbeet industry, and submit an essay in 700 words or less that answers the following question:  The sugarbeet industry has a rich history and has made significant advancements through the years. What do you think has had the biggest impact on production or the industry in general, and why? Also, what would you do to improve sugarbeet production, or the industry, for the future?
    Applications must be submitted by June 15, 2012.  Syngenta will be addressing questions on Facebook and Twitter.  Applications can be submitted online or sent to:  Emily Reynolds, Gibbs & Soell, 125 S. Wacker Drive, Ste. 2600, Chicago, IL 60606; phone (312) 648-6700; fax (312) 422-0660; email ereynolds@gibbs-soell.com.
    Scholarship winners will be announced in August. Previous sugarbeet scholarship winners are not eligible for future scholarship awards.  For additional information and instructions to apply online, visit www.SyngentaSugarbeetScholarship.com.

New U.S. Sugar Industry Directory Now Available
    The newest biennial U.S. Sugar Industry Directory is now available.  The 148-page 2011/12 edition is the most comprehensive “who’s who” for the nation’s sugar industry, encompassing production, processing, marketing and research entities.  It also include basic information and factory listings for the Canadian and Mexican sugar sectors.
    Along with sections on sugarbeet factories, sugarcane mills and cane sugar refineries, the U.S. Sugar Industry Directory carries listings of sweetener organizations, university and USDA beet and cane researchers, as well as sugar-related federal agencies. Industry production and use statistics are included, as is a map showing the location of U.S. sugarbeet and sugarcane growing areas.  Another section lists hundreds of companies providing products and services to the U.S. sugar industry.
    The 2011/12 U.S. Sugar Industry Directory is available for $49.50 per copy (postage and handling included).  Foreign orders should add $10.00 for airmail postage. Volume discounts also are available.
    To order, or for more details, contact Lilleboe Communications Ltd., P.O. Box 2684, Fargo, ND 58108; phone (701) 238-2393; email: lillcomm@yahoo.com

    “Attendance at this year’s symposium is a must for all industry stakeholders, given the critical state of play of sugar policy with the pending renewal of the farm bill,” according to ASA.  “Will we have a completed farm bill by August, or will it still be a work-in-progress?”
    Other 2012 symposium program topics will include U.S. and world market supply-demand outlooks, and the effect of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements on world sugar policies and U.S. commodity programs.
    The acclaimed Coeur d’Alene Resort is located in scenic northern Idaho, about 30 miles east of Spokane, Wash., and 100 miles south of the Canadian border.  The world-class resort is perched on the shores of spectacular Lake Coeur d’Alene, flanked by the foothills of the Bitterroot Mountains.
    For more details on the 2012 International Sweetener Symposium, visit ASA’s website: www.sugaralliance.org.

New Book — Beta maritima: The Origin of Beets — Available
    Beta maritima: The Origin of Beets is the title of a book recently published by Springer Science+Business Media.  Authored by Enrico Biancardi, Leonard (Lee) Panella and Robert Lewellen, the book focuses on the Beta maritima (sea beet) species, which has provided the genetic foundation for cultivated sugarbeet’s resistance to many diseases and pests.  Sugarbeet cultivation as it exists today would, in fact, be impossible in many countries without the recovery of traits preserved in the wild germplasm.
    The new 293-page book includes 126 illustrations, most in color.  Sections cover Beta maritima history and current importance; range of distribution; morphology, physiology and ecology; taxonomy; uses; source of useful traits; cultivated offspring; and the future of germplasm conservation, transgene diffusion and source of new traits.
    Enrico Biancardi is a retired Italian sugarbeet geneticist who continues to collaborate with scientists in several beet-producing countries.  Lee Panella is geneticist and research leader of the USDA-ARS sugarbeet group at Fort Collins, Colo.  Robert Lewellen was sugarbeet research geneticist with USDA-ARS at Salinas, Calif., from 1966 until his retirement in 2008. 
    For more information on Beta maritima: The Origin of Beets, including ordering details, visit the Springer website — www.springer.com — and search Beta maritima.      

Another World Record Sugarbeet Crop in California

    Another world-record sugarbeet crop was harvested in the Imperial Valley of California this past year.  Ben Abatti, Jr., of Baja Farms, Holtville, was honored at the 2012 annual meeting of the California Beet Growers Association for his 70-acre field that averaged 78.71 tons per acre with 15.89% sugar, for a gross sugar of 25,014 pounds per acre.  That beat the previous record, set in 2010, by nearly 500 pounds.  Baja’s record-setting field was planted to Betaseed variety 4521R.  Abatti is pictured above with his family upon receiving the award for this achievement.

    The event starts at 9:30 a.m. with a welcome and introductions by Steve Poindexter, senior sugarbeet extension educator with Michigan State University.  That’s followed by Barry Jacobson, Montana State University plant pathologist, speaking on “Sugarbeet Research on New Seed Treatments and Rhizoctonia Control.”  The morning session concludes with James Hoorman, Ohio State University Extension Service, speaking on “The Biology of Soil Compaction.”
    The afternoon program is comprised of several dry bean production and marketing presentations.  About 90 commercial vendors will be in attendance during the event, which typically attracts about 1,000 participants.
    For more information, contact either Steve Poindexter or Melissa Meier of the MSU Saginaw County Extension Office at (989) 758-2500.

29th International Sweetener Symposium Set for Aug. 3-8
    The 29th International Sweetener Symposium, hosted by the American Sugar Alliance, is scheduled for August 3-8 at the Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.  Preliminary information is available on ASA’s website — www.sugaralliance.org — with more program and registration details becoming available this spring.
    Traditionally, about 400 people attend the International Sweetener Symposium to hear about timely issues of significance affecting the sweetener industry, and to interact with industry colleagues.  This year’s event is sure to include discussion of the next farm bill, as well as updates on the U.S. and world sweetener markets.

American Crystal Director Dale Kuehl Passes Unexpectedly
    The Red River Valley sugarbeet  community was saddened by the unexpected death on December 29 of Dale Kuehl, Glyndon, Minn., grower and member of the American Crystal  Sugar Company Board of Directors.  Kuehl, 54, was serving his second term on the Crystal board.  He previously was a director and officer of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, and he also served on the International Sugarbeet Institute organizing committee.