Rhizoctonia Root Rot (Rhizoctonia solani KÜHN) is being found more frequently in Germany, and in some regions causes considerable financial losses to the sugar industry. It is estimated tat approximately 5000 ha of the arable area are already affected, of which 500 ha are severely affected. Rhizoctonia-Root Rot results in a considerable loss in crop yield and quality; the storage and processing of the beets are impaired. In particular cases the disease leads to ploughing up of the remaining crop. Because of the increasing importance of Rhizoctonia a cooperative research programme has been initiated by the German sugar industry. University research institutes, sugar beet breeders, the institute of sugar beet research, the official authority and the regional working groups for field trails on sugar beet intend to carry out the research and to develop joint strategies for controlling the disease. The main fields of research are epidemiological studies, the pathophysiology of the host-parasite-interaction, the development of methods to detect Rhizoctonia solani in soil and plant and the breeding and assessment of resistance of new varieties under practical field conditions. The poster describes the present Rhizoctonia situation in Germany as well as the spread and economic significance of this disease and introduces the partners of the Rhizoctonia research association with their main topics.