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NFollowing a welcome by Prof. Ordon and Dr. Sabine Andert, Dr. Johannes Hausmann presented the aims and early findings of the Elbaue project. Subsequent talks by Dr. Andert and Christian Wolff (Saxony-Anhalt Plant Protection Service) outlined nationwide monitoring data and joint control efforts. During a field tour, the experts Dr. Kirchhoff, Dr. Hausmann, and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Gross demonstrated disease symptoms and discussed recent trial results.

Coordinated Measures and Applied Research

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMLEH) has implemented several measures to control P. leporinus. These include exemptions from the CAP conditionality standard GLÖZ 6 (“minimum soil cover”) in infested regions. In addition, emergency authorisations for insecticides issued by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) provide farmers with another critical control tool.

The Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) collaborates closely with federal crop protection services, farmers, and advisors to develop and evaluate practical control strategies and alternative management approaches. Additional research funding from the BMELH will be provided in 2026 to intensify this work.

Background

The planthopper P. leporinus has expanded rapidly across Germany due to milder winters. It transmits bacterial pathogens responsible for “Syndrome Basses Richesses” (SBR) and Stolbur diseases, which can cause severe yield losses—particularly in sugar beet but also in potatoes and vegetables.

Because direct control of the pathogens is impossible, management focuses on the insect vector. The Elbaue model region, established in 2024, spans approximately 2,000 hectares of sugar beet fields. Farmers, advisors, industry representatives, and researchers collaborate closely: over 75% of the land has been removed from winter cropping, and monitoring at more than 30 sites tracks both insect activity and disease incidence.

Dr. Sabine Andert notes: “The model region exemplifies practice-oriented research and applied crop protection. We monitor planthopper populations, study their flight activity, test control methods, and assess the impacts on sugar beet yield. These findings help strengthen farm competitiveness and the agricultural value chain as a whole.”