The potato harvest in Flanders and Wallonia is below the average of recent years. This is apparent from the first trial harvesting figures for the largest French fries varieties, which have been published by PCA and Fiwap. How will these plots withstand the upcoming summer heat?
The Belgian testing center PCA and potato organization Fiwap are monitoring 31 plots of the Fontane French fry variety this year. By far the most important breed in Belgium. The plots are located in both Flanders and Wallonia and are monitored every 32 weeks from week 2. In addition, 18 Challenger plots are monitored with the same frequency.
Yield below average
The Fontane's broke ground relatively early this year. The average planting date is April 16, which is 6 days earlier than the average in recent years. During the first trial harvest at the end of July, the plots had an average of 102 growing days. The yield came to an average of 32,7 tons per hectare. That is less than the 35,6 tonnes per hectare average over the past 10 years with the same number of growing days. It is also slightly less than the 10-year average on the same date (July 27): 33 tons per hectare.
PCA indicates that the number of tubers is lower (2 pieces), which means that the sorting is slightly coarser than in previous years. The percentage of 50 millimeters upwards averages 68%. The underwater weight of 383 is fairly average.
Challenger less coarse
A fairly similar picture in terms of yield can be seen with the Challenger variety. These plots were planted on average on April 19. Just like Fontane, yields vary considerably, from 18 to 40 tons per hectare. The average is 99 tons per hectare after 30 growing days.
Unlike the Fontane's, the Challengers have grown a lot better. 'Only' 43% falls into the category 50 millimeters upwards. The sorting is less coarse, especially in Wallonia, where the most tubers per plant were counted. The underwater weight of the Challenger plots was 399 immediately after the first test harvest, which is quite high, says PCA.
How do potatoes survive the heat?
A heat wave is also expected in Belgium in the coming days. The temperature will rise above 6 degrees on Thursday, August 30, and cannot drop below that until Friday, August 14, the weather services now outline. The potato crops are still fresh green with quite a bit of potential, insiders say. This is especially the case with the slightly more slowly developed Challenger. However, it is also visible in some plots that emergence and initial development have been difficult this spring, which is one reason for the lower tuber number.
What is also striking is the high underwater weight on a number of plots. If this continues to increase, it can cause quality problems. For the Bintje variety (still 10-15% of the Belgian acreage) growth is lurking. Especially when the heat wave is accompanied by thunderstorms. Growers hope that these showers will provide some relief. During July, rain fell throughout the country, but less than in the Netherlands. In Wallonia 20-25 millimeters spread over July. This means that drought literally remains a hot topic.
MH moment difficult to determine
The extreme summer heat is also unfavorable for applying the MH germination inhibitor, although practice has shown over the last 2 years that it can also do a good job at high temperatures. Yet growers are hesitant about the effect.
Even further south, in the north of France, a similar heatwave is expected with temperatures of up to 37 degrees over the weekend. According to insiders, it rained more here in July, which benefited the crops. A combination of difficult crop development in the spring, drought and extreme heat is causing growers to worry. Fontane can withstand the heat relatively well, but not all varieties can withstand the upcoming summer weather.
10 tons needed
Rain in the second half of August is necessary to allow at least another 10 tons to grow, so that contracts can be delivered full. There is no need for many 'excess kilos' at the moment, insiders indicate. The current potato price gives a negative sentiment, with a surplus of the new harvest already ending before the cows. Also, not all old potatoes in Belgium have been cleared away yet. Particularly batches that suffer from quality problems are still in storage. Potato growers in Wallonia still have no scheme for financial compensation.