Agriculture Sugar? From beets, naturally!
Sugar beet is one of the environmentally most important and valuable plants. We continue to increase its cultivation efficiency and minimise the impact on the natural environment.
Quality starts in the field.
From the very beginning, Pfeifer & Langen has relied on fairness, respect and good relations with sugar beet growers. Some of these relationships have already lasted for a few generations! This long-term approach brings good harvest – just like our growers get good harvest from their fields during the sugar campaign.
We utilise …
Sugar beet is one of the environmentally most important and valuable plants. Since we are aware that the cultivation is to a large extent balanced by nature itself we attempt to limit soil exploitation to the minimum, to prevent its degradation and protect its fertility.
As a dicotyledonous plant, sugar beet is cultivated in a crop rotation system, and consequently it helps reduce the amount of chemicals used to fight weeds and pests in other crops. The deep root system of the sugar beet loosens the soil structure thus improving its fertility. Besides, it is able to collect nutrients from deep in the soil, preventing their transport to the groundwater system.
… almost the entire sugar beet.
Among the solutions we apply is the so-called mulch sowing which facilitates water retention and improves soil stability, as well as protects it against erosion. The nutrient-rich soil which is recovered during the beet washing process is returned to the fields. Beet pulp obtained in the course of the production process comes back to the farms and is used as an excellent feed for ruminants.
The competitive sugar beet cultivation is targeted at efficiency improvement and yield increase in a long-term perspective. Owing to our close co-operation with research institutes, universities and sugar beet growers’ associations we continue to increase the efficiency of crops without increasing the impact of the cultivation on the environment.
While relying on experts we do not forget about those who laid the foundations for efficient farming. We remember the achievements of Dezydery Chłapowski, the famous son of the Wielkopolska region, who brought modern solutions from England. Among others, he replaced the three-field system with four-field rotation, introduced the soil improving crops (e.g. clover sowing) or used the natural factors to prevent soil erosion. Not only did he increase the efficiency of field crop cultivation but he also undertook a number of activities aimed to prevent soil erosion and the increase of pest population, among others by planting selected species of trees and shrubs (habitats of the natural enemies of agricultural pests) along the borders of the fields.
Chłapowski’s efforts to ensure the economic efficiency of agricultural production and at the same time to minimise its negative impact on the environment, nowadays referred to as SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, are also among our priorities.
We believe in effective communication. Our growers may receive – in a convenient form, using electronic communication tools – all the necessary information regarding every element of the value chain, from sowing, fertilisation and crop protection to harvesting, storage and transport.
The LIZ system is not only a database of knowledge: it also facilitates contacts with regional cultivation consultants. They are agricultural experts who have a broad hands-on experience. Their task is to be available and promptly arrive at the place where their support is needed. Every grower may take advantage of their assistance.
Every grower can count on our professional support. More than 20 years ago, we created and were the first in Poland to implement an interactive agricultural information service (LIZ). It is an internet platform with a steadily growing data base containing information on every aspect of sugar beet cultivation. It is created both by our experts and growers themselves, by giving advice to each other.
Solutions available as part of the LIZ service include, among others, the LIZ-Herbicide program for optimizing the selection of plant protection agents, the LIZ – weed-determination application which enables identification of over 120 plants or the LIZ-Npro, which helps optimize the dose of mineral nitrogen. The programs are accompanied by video tutorials.
Thanks to the programs and brochures based on the results of the most recent research, our growers have a regular access to scientific achievements. We encourage farmers to apply integrated plant protection systems in order to reduce the use of pesticides. We were the first in Poland to implement a system of bonuses for growers delivering sugar beets with a low content of α-amino nitrogen.
We provide each grower with sugar beet seeds; as a result, all sugar beets processed at our sugar plants are genetically unmodified.
We guarantee that beets that have grown from our seeds, with no capital commitment on the part of growers, will be purchased by us. Farmers may plan their future together with us since they know that Pfeifer & Langen does not only buy agricultural produce but is also a reliable business partner. The contracts negotiated with the agricultural sector are both fair and transparent, as well as flexible, which is equally important. Each grower is independent in their decision making.