Recent test harvests confirm large harvest

The most striking are the yields that Aviko Potato (40 mm/+) publishes. The average yield of the main harvest in week 34 is approximately 56 tons per hectare. That is more than in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. Only in 2014 was the forecast higher when it reached 34 tonnes in week 60.

More striking, however, is the percentage of 50 mm/+ that at Aviko approaches 85%. This means that growth is far above the past 5 years. Harvest 2014 is the only year that comes close.

Text continues graph.
Source: Aviko Potato

Bintje is a completely different story
With the Belgian brewer (35 mm/+), Fontane shows a similar percentage of potatoes above 50 mm. Trial harvests show a net yield of 51,1 tonnes per hectare. Apart from 2014 (59,2 tons), this is the highest yield in 6 years.

Bintje is a different story. With 41,9 tons per hectare and 59% in 50 mm/+, the yields do not deviate much from the average. In almost all Bintje parties there is an increase in growth, while in Fontane this is negligible.

Innovator
This will follow in the Noordoostpolder Van der Linde BV Innovator's growth is closely monitored. At 60,1 tons per hectare in week 35, the gross yield is around the 5-year average, but the number of tubers that grow above 50 mm is slightly higher than average. This now amounts to a percentage of almost 89%, while the 5-year average in week 35 is 85%.

Rained or not
The figures provide a good picture of what irrigation can deliver. A non-irrigated Van der Linde plot now has a gross yield of 59 tonnes, while the best-performing plot has been irrigated once and is at 1 tonnes in week 35. However, irrigation is not a guarantee. For example, 72 plots that have been irrigated twice achieve very different yields: 2 of 2 tons and 1 of 46 tons.

Lower owg 
The underwater weights (owg) are generally lower than in other years. Bruwier calculated an owg of 349 grams in Bintje and 375 grams in Fontane. The Aviko averages are higher at about 365 grams, but that is at the lower end of the last 5 harvests. Only in 2015 was it lower. At 382 grams at Van der Linde BV it has the highest owg. That is 10 grams less than the 5-year average.

According to Bruwier, there is still considerable growth potential in 90% of the plots.