Below is a list of the annual industry, USDA-ARS, and other partner research meetings across the industry.
Sugar Beet Research and Education Board (Research Reporting Session)
January (2nd week) – Fargo, ND (on Tuesday)
The annual Research and Reporting session is held in a hybrid setting, though most people attend this meeting in person. At this session, all researchers (or their representatives) who are funded by the SBREB are expected to provide an oral report on the progress of their research. In addition, other researchers not funded by the SBREB but working on sugar beet research may be invited to present papers at this session. A written report from all SBREB funded projects is due on the same day as the Reporting Session. These papers are published in the annual Sugarbeet Research and Extension Reports. For more information, visit the SBREB webpage here or contact Niki Lynnes at niki.lynnes@ndsu.edu.
Seed and Research Alliance Research Meeting
January (2nd week) – Idaho
This annual meeting is held in person (hybrid allowed for special circumstances). All researchers (or their representatives) who are funded by the Snake River Sugarbeet Research and Seed Alliance are expected to provide an oral report on the progress of their research. A portion of this meeting is open to outside stakeholders. Please contact Ryan Samples, Chairman, at randrfarm2@msn.com, Ben Jantz, Vice Chairman, at benjantz@yahoo.com and Ben Marshall, Secretary/Treasurer at benrossmarshall@gmail.com for a formal invitation.
Western Joint Research Committee Reporting Meeting
January (3rd week) – location varies
This annual meeting is held in person, by invitation only. All researchers (or their representatives) who are currently funded by the Western Joint Research Committee (WJRC) are expected to provide an oral report on the progress of their previous year’s research. In addition, researchers who are under future funding consideration by the WJRC are also expected to provide an oral report on their project proposals. For more information, please contact Mike Otto at mrotto@westernsugar.com.
California Beet Growers Association Sugar Beet Research Review
March (2nd week) – Virtual
Seed and Research Alliance Pre-Proposal Meeting
November (2nd week) – Twin Falls, Idaho
This meeting is held in person (hybrid allowed for special circumstances) for new project proposals to be presented to the committee for feedback and review. If approved, researchers will be asked to prepare a full proposal of their project and present it at the annual research meeting, held in January each year. For proposal templates and formatting questions, please reach out to Ben Jantz, Vice Chairman of Research at benjantz@yahoo.com.
Research & Education Advisory Council (REACh)
Dates may vary
This meeting has typically been held in-person; however, there may be a virtual option in the future. A portion of the research meeting is focused on Sugarbeet Advancement and is open to those beyond the elected board. During this portion of the meeting, each research group in Michigan presents their programs. The REACh board may also invite discussions on a particular topic (e.g., herbicides and fungicides resistance).
The purpose of REACh is to be a central trusted source of information for the grower-owners and staff of Michigan Sugar Company, as well as to advocate for and participate in the advancement of the industry as a whole. The goal of the council is to promote and assemble research projects and agronomy information from a range of sources and to facilitate educational efforts that increase productivity and profitability for all stakeholders. For more information, visit the REACh webpage here.
Annual USDA-ARS Stakeholder Meetings
Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center (ETSARC) Research Partners meeting (USDA-ARS Fargo, ND)
January (4th week) – Fargo, ND (usually on Wednesday, dates may vary)
This annual USDA-ARS stakeholder meeting is held in a hybrid setting (both in-person and virtual options). This is an opportunity to hear updates from the Plains Area Director and each Unit. The Sugarbeet and Potato Research Init is one of five units in Fargo, ND. This is followed by a one-hour stakeholder session to discuss challenges, opportunities, and needs. For more information on the USDA-ARS Fargo, ND Sugarbeet and Potato Research Unit, click here or contact Mike Grusak at mike.grusak@usda.gov.
Southern Regional Research Center Sugar Crops Stakeholder meeting (SRRC, USDA-ARS New Orleans, LA)
March (4th week) – New Orleans, LA (late-March, dates may vary)
This USDA-ARS stakeholder meeting is held in a hybrid setting (both in-person and virtual options) and can be moved or postponed up to a year, depending on stakeholder needs. This is an opportunity to hear updates from the SRRC Center Director, Plains Area Director, National Program Leader, and project presentations from ARS scientists focused on “Improved conversion of sugar crops into food, biofuels, biochemicals, and bioproducts”. This is followed by a stakeholder session to discuss challenges, opportunities, and needs. Tours of the facilities and labs are also held on this day. New Orleans is the only USDA-ARS location focused on post-harvest processing. For more information on the USDA-ARS New Orleans, LA Commodity Utilization Research Unit (Sugar Crops & Cottonseed), click here or contact Thomas Klasson at thomas.klasson@usda.gov.
Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Lab (NWISRL, USDA-ARS Kimberly, ID)
November (2nd week) – Kimberly, ID (dates may vary)
This year, USDA-ARS Kimberly will held a stakeholder meeting in June and will continue annual stakeholder meeting in November. This meeting will be held in a hybrid setting (both in-person and virtual options). This is an opportunity to hear updates from the NWISRL Research Leader and project presentations from ARS scientists focused on, “Development of Elite Sugar Beet Germplasm Enhanced for Disease Resistance and Novel Disease Management Options for Improved Yield.” Tours of the facilities and labs are also held on this day. For more information on the USDA-ARS Kimberly, ID NWISRL unit, click here or contact Dave Bjorneberg at dave.bjorneberg@usda.gov.
Sugarbeet and Bean Research Unit (SBRU, USDA-ARS E. Lansing, MI)
August (3rd week, dates may vary) and Winter (January, dates may vary)
Joint USDA-ARS / Michigan State University stakeholder meetings
The USDA-ARS E. Lansing and Michigan State University hold two annual joint stakeholder meetings. The August meeting is a research field day at the Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center (SVREC) in August (August 23, 2023). Additionally, the August meeting brings in students and locals. The winter meeting is held typically in January and has included a virtual option the last couple of years. Attendees at both meetings include growers, agribusiness and seed company representatives, crop consultants, and Michigan Sugar ag staff. Those from outside Michigan may attend both meetings.
Winter (January, dates may vary)
Annual USDA-ARS E. Lansing stakeholder meeting
E. Lansing hopes to resume annual stakeholder meetings soon. These meetings have typically been held in the winter (dates varied). For more information on the USDA-ARS SBRU, click here or contact Renfu Lu at renfu.lu@usda.gov.
Center for Agricultural Resources Research (CARR, Fort Collins, CO)
Winter (dates may vary)
The USDA-ARS Fort Collins will re-commence annual stakeholder meetings soon. These meetings were typically held in the winter (dates varied). For more information on the USDA-ARS Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research Unit (SMSRU), click here or contact Pete Kleinman at peter.kleinman@usda.gov.
Other Industry Research Meetings
American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists (ASSBT) Biennial Meeting
February (4th week) – Held biennially (odd years); location and dates may vary
This is an in-person meeting. Researchers from the beet sugar industry (both agriculture and processing) gather to share their research, either as an oral or poster presentation. In addition, forums are held to address current issues. This meeting includes attendees from the U.S. and internationally. Anyone interested in the objectives of the Society is invited to attend. For more information, click here.
International Institute of Sugar Beet Research (IIRB) Biennial Congress
February or June (alternating) – Held biennially (even years); location and dates may vary
This is an in-person meeting. The 79th IIRB Congress will be held on February 27-28, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. The International Institute of Sugar Beet Research (IIRB) is an international, non-governmental and non-profit organization. Its aim is to provide a platform for networking and knowledge transfer between scientists and specialists in sugar beet cultivation to advance sugar beet production. For more information, click here or contact Stephanie Kluth at mail@iirb.org.