Dutch Crop tour onions - week 19
Drought puts Dutch onion cultivation under pressure
Reels that work overtime and a number of plants that are not easy everywhere. That is the picture of some of the onion growers in the Netherlands. There is also some uncertainty in the plots that are well developed. A peak yield therefore seems a long way off for the time being.
Nationally, the differences are not immediately large in the seed onions. On average, the onions that were sown the earliest, especially in the south of our country, are currently the best. The formation of crust on the clay has caused a lot of damage this spring, resulting in disappointing plant numbers. Nevertheless, some plots have also come through this well. However, every region has its drawbacks and obstacles with this drought, as can be seen from the onion growers who participate in the Boerenbusiness Dutch Crop tour.
Varying picture on clay soils
Due to the crusting, quite a few germs have died this season and there are still looking. Various growers in the Netherlands have anticipated this by irrigating or mechanically breaking the crust. Sometimes with great success, other times it was disappointing.
For example, at Dirk Binnema from Eenrum (Gr) it was not easy to break the crust, because it worked like a concrete slab. Irrigation was also not possible due to the risk of brown rot in the surrounding potato plots. Binnema reports that the first onions have started working on the first pipe: "Part of the onions has penetrated the rind. The other part is still underneath and can remain there for that matter. These will become weak plants if they are above the surface. come".
Another onion grower from the north is Reinder Hogenhout from Kimswerd (Fr). Hogenhout has almost all of the onions upstairs and is satisfied with the stand: "We arrive at about 80 plants per square metre." He was able to overcome crust formation this spring with a crust crusher. As far as moisture is concerned, there is still enough in the soil. Irrigation is certainly not an issue, he says.
In Kortgene (Zl) there are the first onions with a pipe of about 10 centimeters, says Klaasjan Boer. He is satisfied with his parcel of onions, but sees some ambivalence. "Some have been upstairs for a long time and are working on the second pipe. Others are even still at the flag leaf stage." Despite the drought, it is also good at controlling weeds.
Corn in it for newly sown onions
The advantage of the hard layer on top is that it dries out less quickly at the bottom. However, that does not appear to be the case everywhere. Insiders report that the soil dries out quickly and the fledgling seedling does little. In some cases, these become dry and die. Irrigation is therefore the only option, which puts growers who do not have this option at a disadvantage. According to insiders, in some cases it is even so dry and the condition so bad that they have chosen to put the kopeg in the plots. They indicate that the cultivation costs are too high to turn this into a profitable crop. Instead, they plant some extra potatoes or sow silage maize.
A crop tour plot where growth is also somewhat meager is the plot in Dronten (Fl) of the Aeres University of Applied Sciences. There was quite a crust there before the onions saw the light. They broke this crust by harrowing, which was reasonably successful. The plant numbers are a bit disappointing and it doesn't look like anything is coming.
Continue crop growth
On the sandy soils, the seed onions at the Gewastour are on average in good shape. The plants are busy from their second pipe and count an excellent number. But that doesn't mean everything is going smoothly. All onion growers on the light soils indicate that moisture is badly needed to maintain crop growth. Especially with the higher temperatures next week and the lack of precipitation. Onion grower Geert Jilissen therefore expects to start working on the reel soon. His plot in Oeffelt (North Brabant) has sand as the soil type and he sees that it dries up very quickly. On his heavier plots, which were sown later, the young shoots also need moisture. Even if it is not for optimal growth, but for a better effect on weed control. Reports in particular are a problem, says a grower.
In Ysselsteyn (Li), Martijn Derikx has installed drip irrigation in his crop tour plot. He has already used this three times and in this way provided the onions with 5 to 10 millimeters at a time. Due to this drip irrigation, the onions have enough moisture and are already working on their third pipe.
Second watering in Wezup
In Wezup (Dr) at Arjen Jakobs the onions are just emerging and the rest already have a green germ. He has already watered the plot shortly after sowing and plans to use the reel again next week: "Irrigation is necessary so that a harder layer is formed on top. This ensures that it dries out less quickly below. I think with a next irrigation should be successful".
Robin Winter
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