Trial harvesting figures north better than south

In week 31, test harvests were carried out on the potato plots of the Boerenbusiness Crop tour. What is the status of the 4 northern plots and what are they doing compared to last year?

The trial harvesting results show a mixed picture. The Frisian Appelscha stands out above the other plots when it comes to the number of tons per hectare. Because the plot is participating in the Crop Tour for the first time this year, it cannot be compared with previous years.

15% of the yield per hectare has been deducted from each plot for, among other things, spraying tracks.

More foliage than potato growth in recent weeks
In recent weeks, growers have mainly seen growth in the foliage and not so much in the tubers. "I have the idea that this is the case for the entire potato cultivation," says the grower from Dronten. The results in Dronten show a decrease of 5,2 tons compared to last year. "Over the past few weeks I have seen that more foliage is growing than that there are really kilos. I expected more tons, but it doesn't surprise me either when I see how fast and much leaf growth there is in combination with the moderate temperatures of the past few weeks. time."

In Middenmeer, the grower is optimistic about the trial harvesting results. With an increase of 6,7 tons per hectare compared to last year, the plot is the biggest increase in the list. The yield of 39,5 tons per hectare puts the plot in second place. "This is good news. I didn't expect it to be that much higher compared to last year. There is more growth potential this year because the crop is in even better shape than last year."

More vital than last year
The plot in Appelscha is at the top with a trial harvest of 45,1 tons per hectare. The grower sees a clear difference in his crops compared to last year. "The crop is much more vital than last year, when 80% of the plot had already stopped growing," explains the grower. He is satisfied with his crop and sees that the development is going exactly as it should. 

Contrary to the optimism in Friesland, the picture of the crops in the Noordoostpolder is significantly different. With 39,1 tons per hectare, the plot in Ens is not one of the top yields in the tour, but it is nevertheless a plus of 2,2 tons compared to last year. "I also tested it myself and then we came to about the same thing, so I saw this coming," says the grower. He does think that the condition of the crop is less compared to last year, so he does not expect the growth to continue as long as last year. "Last year the position was much better."

Underwater weight
The underwater weight in Dronten is the highest of the crop tour plots. "This is higher than I expected, it may be because a strip of potatoes has been on the sugar beet land," explains the grower. The rest of the growers are satisfied with the underwater weight. In Appelscha and Middenmeer they expect the crop to grow slightly. In Ens they are above 380. "I have fertilized a little less this year, so I suspect that I am a little higher than normal."

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