How cold and wet was the month of August?

After July we have had another Dutch summer month. Regionally there was a lot of precipitation and the temperature also disappointed. It was not easy for the growers with these weather conditions.

The north received the most precipitation this month. Especially in the third week of August there was a lot of rain. Locally, almost 100 millimeters fell within 24 hours in Friesland. It also did not remain dry in the south and center of the Netherlands, but precipitation in the south is below the long-term average for August.

Difficult month
The month of August was not easy for the growers. Due to the large amount of precipitation, high humidity and low temperature, fungal diseases were given ample opportunity in the crops. In the Crop tour potatoes and onions the sprayer therefore worked overtime to win the battle against fungi. In the sowing onions it is known that downy mildew has settled gewonnen. 

It was not easy during the grain harvest either. With the weather conditions it dried slowly. High moisture contents in the grain were therefore no exception. In addition, the average yield was disappointing in most regions. The harvest of first (seed) potatoes and seed onions is running smoothly at the moment. The soil is very skilled and the product comes out with few problems.

Temperature
Just like at the start of this growing season, the temperature was lower than the long-term average. With an average temperature of 16.9 degrees, the temperature was 1 degree lower than normal in August. We also experienced no tropical days this month (30 degrees or higher). In combination with the moisture, growers say that is the reason why many crops still turn green.

Few hours of sunshine
The number of hours of sunshine was also disappointing this month. In addition to moisture and the right temperature, this is also important for optimal growth. "It doesn't go that fast underground. There is too little sun for those extra kilos," explains potato grower Daan Janssen. With 205 hours of sunshine normal compared to 170 normal, that is a lot lower this year.

Late summer approaching
Considering the past week you would say that autumn has arrived. The temperature barely rose above 20 degrees and the sky often turned gray because of the many clouds. But after this weekend it seems to be turning again. The mercury is expected to rise to above 23 degrees with many hours of sunshine. There is also no sign of precipitation for the time being. With that we have the first late summer.

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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