Can sugar beet be grown successfully on soils rated just 9 points on Germany’s 0-100 soil quality scale? At the Gut Klein Bünzow estate in northeastern Germany, close to the Polish border, farm manager Christian Hinz has demonstrated that it can. Working under conditions of low annual rainfall and exceptionally poor soils, the former East German cooperative farm has stabilised yields through strip-till cultivation, cover crops and diverse crop rotations. Stories such as his, and the solutions behind them, will be among the practical farming experiences showcased at SugarBeet Expo 2026, the new international event for professional sugar beet production organised by DLG (the German Agricultural Society) and taking place alongside PotatoEurope on 9 and 10 September 2026 at Rittergut Gestorf in Springe, near Hanover, Germany.
For many sugar beet growers across Europe, maintaining productivity and profitability while coping with increasingly unpredictable weather, rising production costs and environmental requirements has become a significant challenge. Christian Hinz faces these issues every year. Yet by focusing on soil health and adapting cultivation practices to local conditions, he has succeeded in creating a more resilient farming system.
“We noticed very quickly that yields became much more stable. The extreme downward fluctuations largely disappeared,” says Hinz. His experience illustrates how improving soil structure, increasing biological activity and reducing soil disturbance can help sugar beet growers achieve greater yield stability even under demanding conditions.
Visitors to the SugarBeet Expo trade fair will not only have the opportunity to exchange ideas with farmers such as Christian Hinz, but also to discover the technologies and approaches that support these results in practice.
Nearly 300 exhibitors from the sugar beet and potato sectors will present innovations ranging from strip-till and direct-drilling equipment to precision farming technologies, digital decision-support systems, crop establishment solutions, harvesting technology, logistics, soil management tools and sustainable production systems.
The exhibition will focus on many of the themes currently shaping the future of sugar beet production, including soil health, digitalisation, automation, robotics, precision agriculture, crop protection, labour efficiency and climate resilience. Visitors will gain insights into practical methods and technologies already being used by progressive growers. Live field demonstrations will showcase solutions for crop establishment, crop protection, harvesting and logistics under real operating conditions, allowing visitors to see techniques and machinery in action and assess their practical application on farm.
Co-located with the PotatoEurope trade fair, SugarBeet Expo creates a unique platform for growers, contractors, advisers, researchers and industry professionals to exchange knowledge and explore solutions relevant to both crop sectors. The events, both organized by the DLG, combines practical experience from progressive farms with the latest developments from equipment manufacturers, technology providers, research institutions and agronomic specialists.
For growers looking for practical answers to real-world production challenges, the story of Christian Hinz is just one example of the expertise, innovation and experience that will be represented at SugarBeet Expo 2026.
The ticket shop to visit SugarBeet Expo and PotatoEurope is now open: here
Read the full story of Christian Hinz and Gut Klein Bünzow Estate: here
DLG’s partner for the SugarBeet Expo is the Economic Association of the Sugar Industry (WVZ). The regional partner is Nordzucker AG, the exclusive partner is the State of Lower Saxony, and the technology partner is Case IH.
For more information, please visit : https://www.sugarbeet-expo.de/en
