Reels are working overtime to keep up growth

The growing conditions for the seed onions are not optimal, but growth is finally starting to pick up. The reels are brought in to give the crop a helping hand. In addition, many growers participating in the Boerenbusiness Crop tour busy in fertilization with the next dose.

In Beemte Broekland, the onions were hoeed and fertilized with KAS for the first time last week. In addition, grower Ruud Vossebeld provides the onions with an artificial rain shower to let them grow. The onions have received 10 millimetres. Vossebeld will be irrigating the onions again this weekend. "I prefer to give the onions a small amount of water each time, rather than a lot at once."

There is more and more growth in the onions due to the rising temperature, as Reinder Hogenhout in Kimswerd (Fr) has also noticed. "The onions are now in the second pipe. The rest of the crops also continue to grow. Only the carrots were a challenge to get to the top. We had to irrigate the carrots a few times before emergence."

Fertilize onions
The onions in Philippine (Zeeland) are also becoming increasingly visible among the barley. The onions have been sprayed with trace element manganese. "Trace elements are important for the crop. Manganese is important, among other things, for the production of enzymes that play a role in photosynthesis, protein metabolism and cell division. It also ensures the strength of the cell walls and stimulates root growth. Fertilizing the onions with KAS was yesterday (Thursday) on the schedule," says grower Jacky Dieleman.

Grow there
This week, grower David de Wit from Lepelstraat (NB) fertilized the onions with 150 kilos of KAS and immediately irrigated them to let the fertilizer do its job. De Wit's onions are in the third pipe and are growing nicely. "The onions are being irrigated for the second time this year. We are irrigating with about 12 to 13 millimeters of water this time. As it looks now, I can keep coming back every week with the current weather reports."

De Wit also wants to keep up growth because of the backlog it already has. "The onions don't need much moisture at this stage of growth, but I want them to continue growing nicely. In three months it will be the end of August and the harvest will begin." The second pipe is on its way to the onions in Zeewolde (FL). Last weekend the Gewastour plot was fertilized with Nutramon and Potassium sulphate. After that, this plot was also irrigated to keep it growing.

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