14-15/02/2012, Bedford Hotel, Brussels (B)

The 73^rd IIRB congress took place the 14^th and 15^th February 2012 at the Bedford Hotel Brussels in Belgium. 270 participants attended the congress.

Efficiency and sustainable development in sugar beet production

The term ‘sustainability’ has been widely used in the recent years, sometimes without clear definition. ‘Sustainability’ in crop production covers economic, ecologic as well as social aspects. The importance of each of these aspects may be judged differently depending on the point of view – be it the producers’ or consumers’. Efficiency, e.g. with regard to inputs, is an important prerequisite for a sustainable crop production. This congress highlighted different aspects for an efficient and sustainable production of sugar beet, and gave an outlook on a future sustainable development.

Programme

In the opening session, the political and crop-related requirements for a sustainable production of sugar beet were outlined by invited speakers. The two days technical sessions included a poster session dedicated to different topics. Two mini-seminars gave an overview on issues of harvest and storage and Integrated Pest Management with contributions from different countries.