How many tubers after late spring and dry period?

With the recent weather, the potatoes have continued to grow strongly. The first potatoes are already quite coarse, but the number is low. How many tubers do we count under a plant?

Due to the precipitation that falls and the temperature around 20 degrees, the potatoes grow. Late spring is no longer caught up. The late planting followed by a dry period is still clearly visible and the number is low in the potato ridge.

Foliage and tubers
While the foliage development earlier in the season was disappointing due to the drought and late spring, the weather conditions eventually managed to close the crop. The number of tubers is less than in other years. Where it was about seven or eight last year, there are now an average of five to six tubers under a plant.

Tuberization Crop tour plots
The Gewastour plots were all planted around the same period, from early May to mid-May. The tuber setting is doing a lot less this year than in previous years. On the plots of the Gewastour, it was examined what is under a plant of the Innovator variety. In Zeewolde (Flevoland) on the plot of Thomas and Leon Zandee, the average potato plant has six tubers. The plot was planted on May 18. The foliage is looking good so far. Compared to last year it is no less. Despite the drought last year, development was already further. Tuber formation is less than in recent years.

The crop tour plot of Daan Tap in Elst (Gelderland) shows the same number of tubers (an average of six), but the tubers are slightly coarser. The plot was planted on May 19. The number of tubers in the photo is from two potato plants. The plot received 30 millimeters of rain last week and 82 millimeters in the past four weeks.

In Steenbergen (North Brabant) on the Gewastour plot of Wim de Witte, the potatoes were planted on 18 May. So far, the plot has been irrigated three times. On average, this also includes six tubers per plant. The photo shows the tubers of two potato plants. 17 millimeters have fallen in the past few days.

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