Few problems due to lack of precipitation

The growers of the crop tour look forward to the rain differently. Some growers have recently been irrigating their onion plots, others like heat for their onions. The potato growers are happy with the rainfall to get the crops a bit fresh, but hope for more.

Rain has fallen here and there for the past 7 days. The average precipitation on the fields of the Gewastour is around 4 millimeters.

The precipitation on the plots is monitored via Sencrop weather stations. Due to the corona virus, the border with France was closed, so that not all growers could receive their weather stations. The first piles were delivered this week, and in the coming weeks we will monitor the amount of precipitation, temperature and humidity on the plots. 

On the plot in Dronten the most precipitation fell last week. the weather station shows a total of 14,5 mm from the last seven days. In reality, 6,6 mm has fallen, the rest is the result of irrigating a parcel of onions next to the parcel of potato chips. In between is the weather station, which makes it seem that there have been more cases here than actually happened. 

Lowest rainfall in Zeeland
There is hardly any rainfall on the plots where it is not possible to irrigate. On the plot in Scharendijke no precipitation has fallen. The grower from Scharendijke is not yet very dissatisfied with how things are going. The potato can still do without water until it starts to form stems. If it is the time for tubers, then it is more important than now. "If you put the potato in a cupboard, it will also start to germinate," says the grower. 

The plot in Kortgene has received 1 millimeter in the past seven days. Recently, some onions have appeared on the field again, which the grower is happy with. The turnout per m2 here is the lowest compared to the other onion plots. Due to the coming through, it is possible that the turnout is higher than previously thought. The rain is not really missed on the plot yet. The onions are more affected by the poor weather.

Precipitation important for soil herbicide
Most growers indicate that it is important that precipitation occurs for the soil herbicide. Soil herbicide works better in moist conditions. Onion growers indicate that the warm weather is good for the onions but that they are hoping for a shower so that they can apply soil herbicides to the soil.

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.