After a month full of sunshine and rain, it is now time for the potatoes themselves to raise their heads. Growers are preparing for the next challenge after the drought: fighting Phytophthora infestans.
While one grower is not thinking about more rain or irrigating for the time being, the other is driving his reel back onto the potato land. Such are the differences in precipitation and soil type. Due to the precipitation with higher temperatures, the potatoes are growing at a rapid pace and some growers who participate in the Boerenbusiness Crop tour already working on the Phytophthora spraying.
Tuber setting started in Flevoland
The Innovators of Jacco van Liere from Dronten (Fl) are in full growth and are already working on tuber setting. He was one of the first to plant his crop tour plot and as a result his potatoes are still leading the way. He has already sprayed twice on his crop tour plot against phytophthora.
Replenishing rain showers with the reel
Daan Janssen from Escharen in Brabant has, in his opinion, received too little precipitation and has already pulled out several reels to apply 25 millimeters of artificial rain. According to his weather station, he had to make do with only 18 millimeters on his crop tour plot. According to Janssen, the amount of precipitation varies from plot to plot. He therefore only starts irrigating on the driest fields. He has already sprayed his Innovator once against phytophthora and irrigated it once.
René Mesken from the Frisian town of Appelscha says that the need for moisture is not yet high at this stage of the potatoes. He has had 30 millimeters of rainfall and is not concerned about the drought. He has, however, started spraying phytophthora. The crop tour plot has also been sprayed twice against weeds and the first phytpohthora spraying is also a fact.
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