Is the emergence of onions different from other years?

Due to the extreme drought, the participants in the Boerenbusiness Crop tour irrigating the plots. Some growers have never irrigated before to prepare the land or let the onions germinate. Is the attendance different from previous years?

The biggest difference this year compared to other years is the emergence of the onion. Differences are clearly visible in the plot. In the lighter parts of the plots, the soil is less coarse and has fewer clods, which makes it easier for the onion to rise. The clods are coarser in the heavier places, which makes emergence more difficult. For some growers this means more irrigation and more tillage than in other years. 

Dronten: sowing is planned
The program plot of the Aeres University of Applied Sciences in Dronten has yet to be sown. On Tuesday 21 April, 15 mm was rained. After the irrigation, the soil preparation started. Due to the strong wind, the plot is not irrigated equally everywhere. The university of applied sciences is therefore curious to find out how much influence this will ultimately have on cultivation and yield in areas less irrigated. The intention is to sow the plot before the weekend.

Tollebeek: Headlands germinate more difficult
In Tollebeek the onions were sown on 14 April and irrigated with 10 mm of water. After watering, within a few days, while the soil was still moist, an herbicide was sprayed to control the weeds. Due to the irrigation, the onions have started to germinate nicely and the emergence is not much different from recent years. 

Irrigation leaves many onions nicely moist and the seeds germinated quickly. The surrounding area near the reel on the headland has received less water. There the ground is coarser than the rest of the country. The onions are more difficult to germinate here and less often than the rest of the field, the grower notes.

Kimswerd: Irrigation ensures fine and moist soil
A week and a half ago the plot was in Kimswerd sown. The grower had already irrigated the plot before sowing for better tillage. After sowing, he did this again to germinate the onions evenly.

The seeds were not moist in all parts of the plot. "Due to the dry weather and the strong wind, the soil dries out. That is why we decided to irrigate in order to germinate the last onions." That worked, because more onion seeds have started to germinate. deeper peel drier, so that the onion seeds have too little moisture to germinate.

Kortgene: No possibility of irrigation
The grower in Kortgene in Zeeland it is not possible to irrigate due to the salt water and is therefore dependent on precipitation. On Saturday, April 18, '20, 5 mm of precipitation fell in Kortgene. This precipitation shows that more onions are sprouting than before. On the lighter soil in the plot, the onions already germinated before the precipitation and are now above the ground. Onions will now germinate in the heavier places in the field. These have yet to emerge. The difference compared to last year is that the soil had to be worked more often and that many clods remain due to the drought.

Ysselsteyn: Onions are on top of the first sown plot
Ysselsteyn was the first field of onions sown this year in the Gewastour. The onions are now upstairs. There are not many changes compared to other years. The grower says: "Due to the drought and strong wind, we see a lot of dust clouds that blow away the soil. Because we sowed early and the onions are already on top, I am not afraid that the wind will blow the onions away or they will have a lot of damage. The grower has sprayed paper pulp on its own plots to prevent spraying, which benefits the crop, because on plots where no paper pulp has been sprayed this year, the grower can often start over.

Oeffelt: Irrigation ensures hard soil
On the plot in oeffelt the onions come through the soil nicely. Most of the plot has been irrigated once. Spots on the plot have received more water or have been irrigated more often. As a result, the top layer has become harder and the onion cannot get out of the ground. The grower will probably water again to make the soil finer, so that the onions can penetrate the soil.

Wezup: Higher plots are left behind
In wezup the grower does not notice many differences as in other years. Due to the difference in height on the plots, the higher part remains behind compared to the lower part. The grower plans to irrigate to provide moisture to the higher areas as well. The grower has been calculating and arrives at a number of 1.150.000 plants that will come out this year. This is due to the sowing rate of 4,2 units per hectare. By sowing as much as possible, the grower wanted to try to plant as many onions as in previous years and he succeeded.

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