'Use the highest yield potential with green harvesting'

Growing chip potatoes on heavy river clay can pose significant challenges. However, the storage quality rarely disappoints and the soil lends itself to good yields, says Jacob Branderhorst, participant of the Boerenbusiness Crop tour. In addition to the Innovator variety, which is a bit earlier, he also grows the late Marquis. To utilize the maximum yield potential of Markies, he harvests when the foliage is still green. "It's not easy to dig, but I take that for granted. Marquis can handle it well and this way we achieve the maximum yield."

The following will follow during the 2024 growing season Boerenbusiness Dutch Crop tour another ten plots with Innovator chip potatoes. From planting to harvest, the participating arable farmers take us through the cultivation and decisions they make during the season. In this series of interviews we each get to know one grower, his company, vision and strategy. In this interview it is Jacob Branderhorst, potato grower in Eethen, North Brabant, who has been participating in the Crop Tour for several years.

Non-inversion tillage (NKG) is used at Branderhorst's company. This was chosen more than 15 years ago because of the heavy river clay where part of the company grows its crops. In the past, it was not always easy to get a good seedbed and beautiful soil for potato cultivation. The switch was therefore made and NKG's share in the company has increased every year. All potatoes are now also grown on NKG plots. Because of NKG, Branderhorst is a bit later in planting because the plots remain wet longer due to the capillary effect, but it also brings advantages. It is no surprise, but also at Branderhorst not much has happened in the country due to the wetness. He indicates that so far it has been limited to spreading some liquid manure.

Different breed package
Planting potatoes will take a while given the wetness, says Branderhorst. Some things are changing this season with the varieties he grows. In recent years the distribution has been approximately two-thirds Marquis and one-third Innovator. This season it will be 14 hectares of Innovator, 10 hectares of Marquis and 12 hectares of Victoria. This change in varieties is mainly due to the limited availability of seed potatoes. "I was asked by my buyer Aviko which other variety was suitable for our company than the Marquis because of the seed potato availability. Victoria is an old acquaintance that we have had before, but which we had stopped due to variety fatigue on the ground. Also We have grown Fontane in the past, but here on the heavy river clay the yield is average. We are continuing with the Marquis variety and it is easier to store."

"The Victoria variety also did not achieve yields like Markies, but the earlier harvest time is more pleasant. That is also a reason why I expanded the Innovator acreage. Then you can harvest a little earlier. With this distribution I have Now a larger part of earlier varieties, about two thirds of the area. Previously, the distribution was the other way around and more than half of the varieties were in the later segment. I have been looking for a variety with a good yield for some time now. on the heavy soil and which ripens a little earlier. We will see how this choice turns out this year.  

Maximize yield potential with green harvesting
The Markies variety is actually always harvested green on the company and foliage killing with a field sprayer is not necessarily necessary according to Branderhorst, something he likes. "The Marquis can withstand green harvesting quite well and we do this to utilize the maximum yield potential. If you want to spray the foliage to death, you have to start killing the foliage three weeks in advance. While the real kilos of a Marquis only arrive in September grow on our heavier soil. That depends on the variety, but is also due to the planting date here. On the heavy soil we usually don't plant early, so if you want to use your growing days, that will be added at the end of the season. And yes, it is not easy to harvest, but I take that for granted. This way we achieve the maximum yield."

The Marquis is also no slouch in storage and green harvesting is not an issue. "It sometimes looks a bit strange when it is stored. Sometimes some green foliage is included when it is stored because the stems remain attached to the potatoes. In addition, a skin sometimes falls off, but this variety can handle that. We have never had any problems with it in storage or with delivery. You have to ventilate a little more because of the foliage you bring, but I have the feeling that this yields the most kilos."

Price makes up for long storage
The potatoes are stored at the company with air cooling. Innovator usually remains on the farm until April, as is also the case for the 2023 harvest, but varies each year depending on the dormancy. The Marquis will be removed later in the storage season. "We make agreements for the period week 17-24, but the bottom line is that the batches are almost always postponed to the beginning of July and then delivered. Sometimes there is some germ on the potato and there is certainly weight loss, but I I think the extra price more than makes up for it."

Sales strategy
This season's potato sales have already been largely fixed: Two-thirds of the area is grown under contract with the full hectare yield and one-third of the area is partly fixed, which means that potatoes can also be paid for freely. This strategy has not always been this way. "About two-thirds of contract cultivation has been established, but for the other part that remains, I did have a volume agreement, but I traded on the futures market. Now that that has changed, I am still trying to figure out how to implement that. I am leaning towards grow freely, but for the time being I have decided to record part of that as well."

Branderhorst indicates that this is not quite the strategy he has in mind. "In principle, I am more of a person who prefers to be free from all potatoes or grow a full hectare yield under contract for a fixed price. I believe that this gives you the most benefit, instead of having to compromise between the two. As a free grower you actually benefit. of the free market when prices are high and this is also compensated in the years when there are sufficient potatoes, resulting in lower prices. When you grow entirely under contract, this works exactly the other way around and you benefit when the free market is low. Don't think that you have to hop from one year to the next and then back again, or even take some time off. A fixed strategy will yield you more in my opinion."

Be economical with soil
Branderhorst indicates that they are economical with the land and invest in it, both with mechanization such as grading and cultivation and drainage. They stick to their own acreage. "I have never been someone who has taken the route of having a lot of land outside the home. You simply see that with land that you have under your own management for a long period of time, you get a greater return on it. That is in the maintenance and investments that you do with it, such as drainage. During the growing season we also work with seasonal driving paths. We strive not to drive where the plant should grow."

Future plans
Branderhorst leaves it open whether the route from little land outside the door will remain this way in the future. The next generation is also knocking on the door. "My son might want to expand his potato cultivation a bit. He wants to focus on increasing turnover. And I hope that increasing returns will go hand in hand with that. Doing a lot or more is of course no problem, but having more left at the bottom of the line is often still a challenge" .

Branderhorst has not been told any concrete future plans for the arable farm. Optimizing crops and focusing on soil quality are important points. In addition, mechanical cooling for potato cultivation has been considered, with the aim of further increasing the yield of the potatoes. But with current breeds such as Marquis, is this questionable? Branderhorst explains that the heavy clay already ensures that the storage quality of potatoes is very good on the company. With mechanical cooling on the farm, the products can be stored better and more easily until the last moment of the storage season and thus possibly yield a higher return. "And once they are inside, the biggest costs have already been incurred and the dehydration is mainly at the beginning of the season." He also sees that we have been dealing with a different type of weather in recent years, which, in addition to the cultivation, also affects the storage season. "Maybe mechanical cooling will become a permanent part of business operations. Now we can get by without it, but that may change in the future. But this plan is something we decide on together with the next generation."

Jesse Torringa

Jesse is an editor at Boerenbusiness and focuses in particular on the arable farming sector, including grain and onions. He also closely follows the fertilizer market. In addition, Jesse works on an arable farm in Groningen with seed potatoes as the main branch.

j.torringa@boerenbusiness. Nl

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.