Issues with "Erratic emergence" in sugar beet crops in England are causing widespread concern. The cause or causes of the problems being observed remains unknown, but industry groups have said they are continuing to monitor the situation.

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Initially it was suggested that the problem, which has resulted in sugar beet populations around 50 percent would be expected for the time of year in affected areas, could be unique to one early-drilled beet variety, though it has since been revealed that this is not the case. Crops of around 40-65,000 plants per hectare appear to be the norm in affected areas.

Cases have been observed since late April. Farmers across the East of England and as far north as Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire have been affected.

Stems, cotyledons and root systems all appear to have been affected in poorly performing beet crops. However, it remains unclear whether the poor emergence is the result of one or many factors. the British Beet Research Organisation said in an update earlier this month, "In addition to emergence, vigour has been an issue and on closer inspection stems and cotyledons appear to be distorted and twisted and there is little root system, and often the start of the proliferation of fibrous roots without the presence of the main tap root."

Unsettled weather conditions could be at least partly responsible; March 2013 was amongst the coldest and driest on record.

Industry groups and the NFU have said they are looking into the situation. NFU said on Friday that "Investigations are on-going into the erratic emergence of crops in some fields this year. It seems apparent that this is not an issue related to a single variety, or soil type, or drilling date but, rather it appears to be a more complex issue involving many interacting factors related to the seed, soil, time of drilling and the prevailing weather"  

A week earlier the BBRO said information is being gathered from farms and through laboratory testing. Industry experts have advised growers to take appropriate photographs and records of their crops to monitor emergence (potentially including carefully digging up some plants to look at the root system and stem in detail).

The window for re-drilling crops has now closed, and NFU said efforts will be concentrated on ensuring yields are maximised from crops already in the ground. It is not known what the full extent of loss will be, or the eventual effect on the industry.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, NFU Sugar Board member John Goodchild said, "Significant numbers of seeds have failed to make it above the ground and we really don't know what's causing it. The strange thing is, not every field is affected. I drilled fields on the same day, in the same weather conditions, using the same variety - some are fine, others not at all."