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Dutch Crop tour Onions week 11

Does turbulent weather give the grower peace or tension?

11 March 2019 - Steven de Rijk

The stormy weather of last week has made work on the plots of the Boerenbusiness Crop tour stopped. Onions have already been sown on the plots elsewhere in the country, but due to the heavy rain showers of the last few days, there are many puddles on the land.

Although there are puddles on the land, there is no reason for growers to worry about the plots participating in the Crop Tour of Boerenbusiness† "The onions do not have to be sown before mid-April", some participants react laconically. 

Repair to increase organic matter
A ditch was filled in last year on the plot in Zweeloo (Drenthe). The mild weather of the last days of February has been used to carry out various repair work; for example, 20 tons of compost was spread and incorporated with the cultivator. Compost has been used on this plot for 5 years to better retain moisture even in times of drought. 

The plot in Zeewolde (Flevoland) was plowed in the autumn of 2018, which means that the soil structure is good. The subsoil of the plot was still (too) wet in the last days of February, so that processing the plot would have damaged the structure.

Administer polysulphate
Polysulphate was sprinkled in Kortgene (Zeeland). The plowed green manure storage plants have been sprayed so that they can die. As soon as the field is drivable, the field is prepared for sowing with a quick harrow.

For the time being, the sowing machines can stay in the shed for a while, given the weather forecasts, no more sowing will be done before the end of March.

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