Last kilos grow with the potatoes

The wear and tear of the potato crop is going very fast at the moment. The first plots are dying and others are soon to follow. Potato growers see that kilos are still growing.

Especially with the current warm weather conditions, the wear of the crop is accelerating. On the first plots of the Crop Tour there is little green left and the last kilos are pulled from the foliage.

End of growing season
One of the first plots that is on its way back is located in Scharendijke (Zeeland). According to potato grower Tonco Padmos, the growing season is over: 
"There is virtually nothing left of the foliage on the plot. Of the 10 hectares, there is still some foliage on 2 to 3 hectares, the rest of the plants have completely died." 

In Hellevoetsluis (South Holland) the crop is wearing down fast, but the kilos have not yet grown, according to potato grower Kees Trouw: 'Part of the plot has little left in terms of crop, but at the back of the plot it is still yellow and green. It's not finished there yet." 

Too early to spray dead
At Kees Vrolijk, potato grower in Fijnaart, the crop is declining, but it retains its color to this day: "It is still much too early to spray dead. The plot is definitely deteriorating, it is wearing down quickly, but it is still green and full coverage over the potato ridges in terms of foliage". Spraying is therefore not planned for the time being: "As it stands now, I will certainly not spray it dead next week."

The 2 parcels in Dronten are also deteriorating rapidly. The first places where the foliage has completely died off can be seen on the plot of potato grower Herman Schlepers. But an Innovator, according to him, makes kilos to the end. "The crop is wearing out fast, but Innovators are still picking up kilos of the last leaf green."

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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