News Seed potato field day
Seed potato grower gets knowledge update
In addition to the National Seed Potato Day, Delphy organized a Seed Potato Field Day for the first time this year. Growers are updated on the basis of tests that are located at the NAK inspection service in Tollebeek. For example, attention was paid to seed potato selection with cameras and the cross planting of potatoes.
The Seed Potato Field Day took place on Tuesday 26 June at the NAK experimental farm in Tollebeek. In addition to a modest business platform, where suppliers and machine manufacturers showed their products, visitors were guided through a series of tests.
Current trials
The tests are different in design. Attention was paid to fertilization, whereby various types of agents were applied that should help soil life, release nutrients or make them more absorbable. Also, several weed control strategies were shown as an alternative to linuron.
There was a lot of interest in the louse virus test. "Opinions about the best approach to combat aphids and viruses vary widely," says Jan Salomons of Delphy. When we look at all known studies from the last 15 years, a weekly application of 15 liters of oil per hectare still comes out the best. However, after the rejected re-registration of 11 E-Oil, only Oil-H is allowed. "In addition, the label states a term of once every 7 days, while in practice spraying is often done at the beginning and end of the week."
Delphy showed various tests with oil and lice killers in various applications. In 1 object the oil has been replaced by NTS, a liquid nitrogen. This is the practice in some companies in the Northern Netherlands. "The tests are not there to substantiate that NTS has a positive effect on aphid control," says Salomons. "We know that aphids choose the light green plants. It is possible that 15 liters of NTS will keep the plants greener and thus have a positive effect."
cross legs
Colleague Marc Versprille talked about the technique of quad plants or cross legs. Several years of experience has been gained in this area within the Flevoland Seed Potato Academy. It has now become apparent that, with the same amount of seed potatoes, a 3% to 4% increase in yield can be achieved. There is nothing to see in the back of the crop itself; they come up in a row. "Selecting is not a problem and the milling is also going well," says Versprille. Cup planters are relatively easy to adapt by mounting a different coulter. "The problem, however, is that most seed potato growers use a belt planter."
Jan Kamp, researcher at WUR, showed the machine that was built to use cameras to detect diseased potato plants. This 'Smart Sick Seeker' now works at a speed of several hundred meters per hour. Hopefully, in 5 years' time, the technology will be ready for practical use and more advanced. The machine uses hyperspectral cameras to detect diseased plants; This technique is not yet 100% reliable. However, it also happens that approved plants turn out to be sick afterwards.
Staff shortage
This is the result Kamp and his colleagues are hoping for. They use the 'deep learning system'. This means that the computer is continuously learning. This makes the machine smarter and better able to detect the plants. 3D images are used to recognize erwinia. Mixing of varieties cannot yet be detected by the system. However, finding enough well-trained selectors is becoming an increasing problem. Such robots should provide a solution in the future. WUR has been conducting trials since 2010.
WUR's Smart Sick Seeker. The capacity is still far too low for practice.
Niels van der Boom
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