Primed onion seed is also kickstarting this year

The first rows of onions are visible on the plots. Other plants are about to break through. Primed onion seed is clearly visible on some plots, but does not have added value for every grower. What are the experiences so far among the onion growers participating in the Boerenbusiness Crop tour?

It is not surprising that we are lagging behind in the growth of onions this season, after all, the onions were sown almost one month later on average. Nevertheless, the growth is going reasonably smoothly with the current temperatures and the high rainfall, as can be seen on the plots. Primed onion seed also seems to come into its own this year, especially in the faster growth. On some plots there was already a nice germ on it after a few days. The plant number seems to be good this year for both regular and primed onion seed, thanks to the frequent and regular rainfall in recent times.

Nearly 50% primed
This season, almost half of the onion seed sold has been primed, according to the seed suppliers. That is again an increase of a few percent compared to 2022. In recent years, the share of primed seed has increased by several percentage points every year. The share of primed seed is expected to be more than 50% next season. With the Gewastour onions, even more than half of the plots have been sown with primed seed. Some growers have been sowing the established seeds for years, others are just getting started. A lot also depends on the type of soil and the conditions, with the primed onion seed theoretically having the most benefit on clay soils and colder soils. In the meantime, more primed sowing is also being done on sandy soils. The faster emergence and uniformity are seen as major advantages.

A clear difference
Onion grower Ruud Vossebeld from Beemte Broekland sowed both types of onion seed in recent years. "I've seen a clear difference in recent years. The primed onion seed ensures a more uniform emergence. Because primed onion seed is earlier, the weeds are even smaller and I can suppress the weeds better on sandy soil. I think this is an advantage of primed onion seed for me I sow 3,7 units as many units of primed onion seed as normal onion seed, because some is lost during the season."

Jacky Dieleman from Philippine sowed primed onion seed for the first time this year and is seeing if he likes it. "The reason I opted for primed onion seed is that last year I had to deal with a variable emergence in the crop. Due to the two crops in my crop, it didn't make crop protection easy last year. This is the reason I used primed onion seed this year sowing. I hope for a more uniform emergence, which will allow me to better carry out my crop protection during the season. I will sow four units, just the same as last year."

No added value measured
Peter Holster from Marknesse sees no added value of primed onion seed on his plots. "My father used to do tests with primed onion seed on our plots, but we couldn't see any added value in the tons. After all, it has to yield something extra. The soil here is very commanding, which makes the advantage of primed onion seed I is less When the onions are dry after sowing, I pull the reel over it.

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