Early and dry—those were certainly the hallmarks of the current growing season. Dry weather is no longer the biggest problem everywhere, but early harvesting remains. This is also evident from the trial harvest by the Belgian company Bruwier Potatoes.
The average yield for Fontane in week 31 was 45,4 tons per hectare in Bruwier's trial harvest. 80% of the tubers were size 50. This yield is considerably higher than the 24,1 tons per hectare with 38% of the tubers being size 50 this week last year. The five-year average is 30,9 tons per hectare, but no trial harvest was conducted in 2020 due to the coronavirus, and no trial harvest was conducted in 2023 due to the late planting date.
The Challenger yield is 41,9 tons per hectare. Of this variety, 66% are larger than 50 millimeters. Last year, the trial harvest reached 7,6 tons per hectare, with 3% of the tubers being 50 mm. The net weight in the Bruwier trial harvest is for potatoes 35 mm, and the gross weight is reduced by 15% to account for spray paths, corners, and so on.