Dutch Crop tour week 24 - potatoes
Counting the first potato stems, irrigation is necessary
The counting of the first stems in the chips potatoes of the Innovator variety has started. At first glance, growers participating in the Boerenbusiness Dutch Crop tour Satisfied, despite the hot and dry weather, the crop continues to grow. However, the moisture shortage is increasing rapidly, so that several growers have started to irrigate.
The potatoes in Steenbergen (North Brabant) are coming through nicely. "I am satisfied with the number of stems that the tuber has formed. There are five stems on the tuber and there will be a nice root system," says grower Wim de Witte. However, the crop still has to make up for a considerable growth deficit. According to the grower, the question is how that will happen, especially with the current heat. "It remains to be seen how much foliage the crop will develop. At the moment it is very difficult what to expect from the potatoes," says De Witte, who was also quite late with planting this year.
In Zeewolde (FL) and Woldendorp (GR) the growers are also satisfied with the emergence and the number of stems.
Artificial rain shower of 30 millimeters
Various growers have started irrigating the Gewastour plot, such as in Voerendaal (Limburg) and Elst (Gelderland). The potatoes in Voerendaal are irrigated with 20 millimetres.
In Elst in Gelderland, irrigation has mainly started to maintain the connection with the subsoil. The Gewastour plot is irrigated with 30 millimetres. "Also for foliage development and to let the fertilizer do its job," says grower Daan Tap. It took two weeks on the plot before all the plants were on top. "That probably had to do with the storage of the seed potatoes. On another plot, Innovator was planted two weeks earlier and the potatoes all came up evenly."
Gybert Doggen's Gewastour plot was irrigated for the second time this week with 20 millimetres. This is reflected in the soil moisture graph. The soil moisture has been brought back up to standard in the Bioscope graph.
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