Dutch Crop tour onions - week 26
Bulb formation of seed onions not yet started everywhere
On some plots the seed onions have started to form bulbs, but on other plots the crop still seems too young for that. Day length and temperature are leading. Growers also check the seed onions for thrips. Is the trip alarm going off yet?
Normally, bulb formation starts around the longest day (June 21), but due to the slow start, it seems to be getting going a bit later in some areas. Temperature also plays a major role in spherical formation. The higher the temperature, the faster a plant starts. As soon as bulb formation is fully underway, no new foliage is developed. This is a cause for concern, especially in regions where the onions are still small and have few pipes.
Bulb formation in south starts
The differences in growth of the seed onions vary considerably. This is also clearly reflected in the spherical formation of the onions on the plots of the Boerenbusiness Crop tour. In the south, where the crop is already much larger, bulb formation seems to have started and the crop is entering the next phase. A good example is the plot in Ysselsteyn (Limburg), where the onions are busy with bulbs (see image below).
Bulb formation is slowly starting in the north and center of the Netherlands and the onions don't seem to be ready yet. But that can change quickly, says Reinder Hogenhout, onion grower in Kimswerd. "The onions are not really blooming yet, but last year it suddenly went very fast. That will be the case again this year."
Thick necks
The seed onions are very variable this year. The main causes are the long-lasting low temperature, the large amounts of precipitation and sometimes hail. The strong soil herbicide also plays a part in this in some cases. Despite the fact that growth is now good and the onions are recovering nicely, the damage has already been done in many cases. There are many onion plots that have been damaged by weather conditions and are stunted in growth. This ranges from irregular emergence to oxygen deficiency, which means there is a high chance of leek-like onions and thick necks this year.
Trips
There is not really a big thrips pressure this year. In the warm period of June, some thrips were occasionally found, especially in the second-year onion sets. Occasionally something was also found in the seed onions, especially in the south, but this did not lead to any action. The onion growers of the Gewastour have not yet sprayed against thrips.
Jesse Torringa
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