Crop tour Kees Trouw
'Yield potential of seed potatoes lower this season'
The scarcity of seed potatoes for this season is known, but you hardly hear anything about the quality of the seed potatoes. Arable farmer Kees Trouw is concerned about the yield potential of the seed potato, which may lack strength. The participant also tells the Boerenbusiness Crop tour about his fertilization strategy in chip potatoes. He also doesn't wait until the last growing kilo.
The 2024 growing season will follow Boerenbusiness Crop tour again ten plots with chip potatoes of the Innovator variety. From spring until harvest, they take us through the cultivation and the decisions they make during the growing season. With this series of interviews we get to know the grower and the company, his vision on cultivation and certain strategies. In the second interview of the Potato Crop Tour, this is Kees Trouw, arable farmer in Hellevoetsluis (South Holland).
About 160 hectares of crops are grown on Trouw's arable farm. Of this, 50 hectares are for chip potatoes: 35 hectares of Innovator and 15 hectares of Agria. Trouw also grows seed onions and sugar beets. The remaining area is filled with grain. The cropping plan for the potatoes is 1-to-3 or 1-to-4, depending on the plot. All potatoes go into storage and are usually delivered from spring to summer. The sowing onions are also stored. The soil type is marine clay and varies from 20% to 55% siltable.
Like most growers, there is no real spring pressure yet at Kees Trouw's company. He sowed some grain, but unfortunately it rained out again last weekend. Nevertheless, there is still more work to be done at the company. Trouw has only started delivering Innovator from its storage and that will take quite some time in the coming period. He also received his Innovator seed potatoes last week. These are currently acclimatizing outside in boxes. "The seed potatoes look good and fit nicely in the box. If we start planting potatoes in about three weeks, I'll put them inside for a while and hope they turn out well. That is, if we can get started."
The two varieties Innovator and Agria have been on display at Trouw's company for years. It has grown so much over the years and the risk is spread, even if the harvest time does not coincide. "You can't dig everything up at the same time, of course. In addition, both varieties produce good yields on this soil." Delivering storage with Agria is on the agenda from May, as it seems now, until the summer at the latest. "My storage has slatted floors and I have no mechanical cooling. The risk of poorer baking quality is increasing rapidly and I want to avoid that. That is why I am now letting go of Innovator. I want to deliver the best possible product that everyone is satisfied with. Both myself, the processor and end user."
Free cultivation, customer the same for 50 years
Just like last season, Trouw is again completely free with its potatoes this season and not a single kilo is grown under a contract. This has not always been the case in the past and it has varied from season to season. "I wanted to have the costs or part of them covered, but in recent years you have been able to build up such a structure and free cultivation has worked out well. But who knows, I could be completely wrong again with free cultivation. That is of course possible. also." What is certain every year is that deliveries are always made to the same customer: Farm Frites. "We have been doing that since we started in the 70s. And we are still completely satisfied." The potato processor makes its fries and other potato specialties southeast of Hellevoetsluis, near the arable farm.
Yield potential low
Last year, the potatoes at Trouw were also planted late. Nevertheless, the shorter, erratic growing season was not disappointing, considering the yields. This is partly due to irrigation due to the availability of freshwater. "We are located here along the South Holland Delta and have a good supply of freshwater. They keep the water at a good level here and we took advantage of that during the drier period. Towards the end the crop made another growth spurt, which means we can still still harvested excessive yields for a capricious and special season."
The erratic season has left its mark on the market in several ways, but also on the availability of seed potatoes. Availability was disappointing due to poor numbers, but that is not the only thing Trouw is concerned about. According to him, the quality, or rather the yield potential, of a seed potato may turn out to be lower. "I am concerned about the yield potential that the seed potatoes have this season. By this I mean the potential of a seed potato to achieve a high and good yield. That seed potato grew and harvested last year under less favorable conditions than in a 'normal ' year. The seed potatoes were already of sufficient size due to a small number, while the plant was still in full bloom. The crop had not yet grown and the development was also different."
Killing leaves at such a time must have an effect, Trouw thinks. "In my experience, there is less yield potential in that seed potato to generate a good yield this year. A potato is grafted on to produce offspring. If there is too little strength, you will also see that the plant produces too few stems when it is grown. has been planted out again. And when it is above with two stems, you see that the number of offspring is disappointing. You just need stems for a good yield."
Starting with a corner of seed potatoes or ATR yourself because of the scarcity is not an option for Trouw. "I am only a one-man worker here at the company. I need extra hands for that and labor-wise that is simply not convenient. I am now trying to ensure that I receive high-quality, clean and good starting material from the seed potato supplier. This way I can I focus purely on cultivation and try to maximize my yield on the company."
Nitrogen release is crucial for each variety
Going for the maximum yield does not mean that we only look at kilos. The potatoes must also be harvestable on time and correct fertilization is crucial. No problem at Innovator, but Agria is. Trouw indicates that he plays it 'safe' and leaves the last kilos behind. "I spread cattle slurry on every hectare of Innovator before planting. In Agria I don't do that. I try to manage that breed better with artificial fertilizer. I find the capriciousness of the release of nitrogen in cattle slurry in the development of an Agria too It's exciting. When the nitrogen is released late, it means that your Agrias are green for 14 days longer. We saw again last year what a difference that can make. I would rather settle for fewer kilos than have to worry terribly about to get that Agria harvested and then dried. You also have to think about the underwater weight."
At Innovator it is the opposite world, Trouw has noticed from experience. "It is the other way around with the Innovator variety. It benefits greatly from the later release of nitrogen at the end of the cultivation. With good basic fertilization together with cattle slurry you ensure that the plant feels good throughout the season. This means The breed has so far rewarded me by giving me good weight."
Jesse Torringa
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