In Belgium, 38 plots of French fries potatoes were sampled again in week 36. Compared to the previous harvesting, the crops have made up a lot and have therefore optimally benefited from the late summer weather with sufficient precipitation. However, the figures are misleading if you only look at averages.
On 16 and 17 September, the Belgian organisations, including Fiwap, Viaverda, Carah and Inagro, sampled the monitored plots again. In total, this concerns 36 plots, of which 16 in Wallonia and 19 in Flanders. Challenger, Innovator, Bintje and Markies are sampled once more after spraying. Fontane is sampled every two weeks.
Scatter
All plots come out after an average of 113 growing days at 43 tonnes per hectare net (-15%). That is 4 tonnes less than the five-year average of 47 tonnes. The spread remains large. The lowest plots do not get further than 20 tonnes (after 82 days), while the top is at 73 tonnes (at 146 growing days). In the size grading 35 millimetres upwards, Fontane comes out at 41,9 tonnes in week 17 and 33,1 tonnes in the grading 50 millimetres upwards.
Most crops, especially those planted later, have shown above-average growth of 600 kilos per day. An increase of 250 to 300 kilos is average. Even within plots, large differences are visible, making it very difficult to make a single average for a plot. This can cause the final yield to turn out differently than the figures show now.
Late plots
A yield that is 8,5% below the five-year average and 12% below last year is not dramatic, especially considering the exceptional season. However, this is a blurred picture, which is clearly visible in the breakdown per month. The potatoes that were planted in April (only one plot) show a top yield that has not been achieved in the last five years. Incidentally, they have scored above 50 tons all season. The crops that went into the ground in May are now also above average, but it is the late-planted plots that are the pain.
Seven of these plots do not even achieve a yield of 30 tons per hectare and only 15% of the foliage has died. The average is 39%. Several late plots do not even achieve 60% coarseness. There is still potential in these plots, but the question is to what extent it can be used and whether the growers are prepared to take the gamble. Wait with spraying, and then go for the last kilos, or perhaps not spraying at all. Even if you take the gamble, Fontane in particular still lags behind in kilos and coarseness.
Underwater weight
The underwater weight has remained the same with an average of 386 grams compared to the previous measurement. Here too a variation is visible, although the weights are low on average. This can cause problems with the harvest, when a crop is not at its weight. Stabilization of the underwater weight suggests that the plants are moving physiologically towards a final phase.
Aviko has also published figures for week 38 for the Netherlands. They report a yield of approximately 58 tonnes per hectare. Note that these are gross tonnes. Net, this amounts to 49 tonnes. This means that the yield is higher than in the past two years. The size has levelled off somewhat at around 75%. The underwater weight decreased slightly, towards 400 grams. This means that the potatoes in the Netherlands continue to perform very differently than in Belgium.