While spring is slowly manifesting itself, the first onion and beet sowing machines are also back into action. Especially in the southwest of the Netherlands, the arable farmers can do something again.
About 0,7% of the beet area was in the ground on April 25, which is approximately 600 hectares. In the south and southeast of the country, plots were sown in dribs and drabs in week 12. During this period last year, 4% was in the ground; At that time, a fair amount of beets had already been sown in Flevoland and the northern clay area.
This amount is comparable to 2017, because 4% was currently in the ground. In 2016, 25% of the beets were already in the ground during this period. Just 1 year earlier that was over 30% and in 2014 it was over 40%.
Not an extremely early spring
The 2019 growing season started very well at the end of February, which was extremely early. However, work subsequently came to a standstill for about 1 month. The early sown crops withstood the heavy rainfall well. According to advisors, the plots with planting and sowing onions are in good condition. Crust formation is an issue in early sown carrots.
Silence in Germany
In Germany too, the sowing machines are still quiet in the sugar beet field. According to figures from beet processor Pfeifer & Langen, 8% of the area has only been sown near Magdeburg (East Germany). Closer to the Dutch border, it is 1% to 2%. In Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia the soil has reached its field capacity. In the profile up to 60% the soil is saturated. However, in the northeast of the country (Saxony-Anhalt), the field capacity is only 50% to 80%.
In France, arable farmers are benefiting from nice spring weather and sowing is in full swing. Work there was also at a standstill for a long time. Last week, 1,3% of the area there was in the ground, which is 5.800 hectares. Compared to the 5-year average, sowing is now 1 week later. In all areas, several percent of the total area has now been sown.
Cold start to April
A high-pressure area will ensure warm and dry weather in the coming days, which will last until the weekend. The month of April starts with some degrees of night frost. In the east of the country -3 or -4 degrees Celsius can be expected. The first week of April is slightly changeable, so there is no real spring weather.
The country is now starting to gray again, especially the subsoil is still wet. The farmers who go into the field with the spa note that the construction furrow is often still very wet. Below that, the ground is still relatively dry for the time of year.
Soil saturated
The month of March brought a fair amount of rain; for the center and north of the country the counter is more than 100 millimeters. It is very wet along the Wadden coast, North and South Holland. More than 130 millimeters also fell in various places in Flevoland, where it is drier in the southwest and east. In Zeeland, 60 millimeters fell in places, which is average for this month. This is also where most of the field work can be found.
In the southeast and northeast of the country, the spring weather is mainly used to resume manure spreading. Contractors are bracing themselves for busy times, also on clay. During the month of March, the grain crops continued to grow and, partly due to the average early sowing time, were already well developed. Changeable weather means few workable days to inject slurry onto wheat.
Situation in the manure
The collection contributions for pig and cattle slurry fell in mid-February, but have been stable since March. However, arable farmers look at the amount they receive for manure, although that link is very difficult to make. If transporters, intermediaries and contractors have enough supply of plots, then the shoe does not pinch when spreading on wheat and they switch to light soils.