Appearances can be deceiving in the growth of potatoes

After a long and cold period, the potato crop is in a growth spurt. Under these growing conditions, the potatoes make up for part of the slow start. Potato growers can barely keep up with the growth. But is this catch-up also what it seems?

We have had a long period of cold and wet weather, which has made the growing season a slow start. This year's planting dates vary widely and this is also reflected in the crop status. Flower buds of the potato plants are visible and the first tubers are developing. Other potatoes are only just emerging.

Potato growth spurt
The months of April and May were a few degrees colder than the long-term average, but June started off sunny and above average warm. The temperature in combination with the large amount of moisture has ensured that the potatoes are in a growth spurt and the majority of the potatoes are busy forming the stolons. The newly planted potatoes also develop quickly and benefit from the warmed up soil. The photo below shows the growth of the same plot 7 days later.

Too few growing days
The crops had to get used to the temperature change, according to potato grower Kees Trouw: 'Last week with the first rays of sunshine and that heat, the plants had to get used to it. The sap flow lagged behind growing, so the crops drew a little yellow. But now that they are used to the temperature and mineralization has started, you can see that the color on the crop improves very quickly. You see a growth spurt.'

Despite the fact that the potato is in a growth spurt, the crop is lagging behind, says Kees Trouw: 'It is a pity that we have too few growing days at the end of the journey. When you've had the longest day (June 21), the potato will physiologically prepare itself to make tubers instead of the leaves and stems.'

Big differences in the potato back
If we put the Crop Tour plots next to each other, it is noticeable that the differences above the ground are not very large. In a plot that was planted 14 days later, the plants look almost the same. The difference between potatoes planted at the beginning of April and mid-April is especially small. 'The potatoes are well on their way to catching up', observes potato grower Herman Schlepers from Dronten. 'Part of the Crop Tour plot was already planted at the end of March, but you don't see that anymore compared to the other plots.'

Visually, the differences above the back were minimal, whether it was planted in early April or mid-April. If we look into the potato ridges, the picture is quite different. Herman Schlepers' plot in Dronten was planted at the end of March and the first tubers are clearly visible there. The formation of stolons has already started for some time and the tubers are full growing. There is no tuber formation yet on the other Crop Tour plot. Several potato growers see this image with the potatoes planted early. The plant may look the same on top of the ridge, but the picture is very different in the potato ridge.
 

Jesse Torringa

Jesse is an editor at Boerenbusiness and focuses in particular on the arable farming sector, including grain and onions. He also closely follows the fertilizer market. In addition, Jesse works on an arable farm in Groningen with seed potatoes as the main branch.

j.torringa@boerenbusiness. Nl

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