The 48th International Sugarbeet Institute is planned for March 17-18 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. This year's theme is "Bringing Together the Sugarbeet Grower and Allied Industry."
Mohamed Khan, Extension sugarbeet specialist and associate professor at NDSU and the University of Minnesota, will give two presentations. "The Sugar Story: From Whence We've Come" is planned for Wednesday, March 17, at 1:15 p.m. "Challenges and Opportunities in the Beet Sector" is planned for Thursday, March 18, at 10:10 a.m.
Khan also serves as chair of the International Sugarbeet Institute and as secretary of the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota. He grew up on a sugar plantation in Guyana, South America, where he received his early education. He later studied at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom and Clemson University in South Carolina.
Along with carrying out sugarbeet educational programs in Minnesota, North Dakota and eastern Montana, Khan conducts research on managing diseases of sugarbeets, including Cercospora leafspot and Rhizoctonia root rot.
Participants can view 100,000 square feet of exhibits representing 125 companies. More than $4 million of products and equipment will be on display. For more information, contact Marilyn Geiszler at 1-8881 or marilyn.geiszler@ndsu.edu.