Crop tour potato - week 28
Tuber formation is good, but there are big differences in growth
The high rainfall in the first half of the growing season appears to result in above-average tuber formation for the Innovator variety. Apparently, because tuber formation is still in progress on the plots planted later. On other plots the first potatoes are already above 50 millimeters in size. The contrast is so enormous this growing season.
Plenty of moisture at the start of the growing season generally means good tuber formation and this seems to have been confirmed again this wet spring. The number of tubers per plant at the Crop tour plots with an average of about 8 to 9 above average compared to other years. Sometimes there are more than 11 tubers on a plant, although this is of course much lower in the flooded parts or areas with poor structure.
The plants (see photos) are in places where there is a reasonable crop. Last season (2023) the average tuber number was about 5 to 6 potatoes in the Crop Tour. That growing season also started very wet, but the subsequent poor weather after planting led to drought in the back and therefore a below-average tuber number. In the 2022 season, the tuber number averaged around 7 to 8 tubers.
Large bunches of tubers
A large part of the Crop Tour plots were planted in the second week of May. In these plots you can see that the crop both above and the tubers in the potato ridge have developed considerably thanks to the Dutch summer weather of recent weeks. This is good news for potato grower Daan Tap in Elst, Gelderland, who planted his plot at the beginning of May. "I think I have an average of 10 tubers on a plant. And the first 60 millimeters upwards are already there," says Tap, who indicates that his Innovators are doing well. "It is a bit difficult to compare with other years, because this is only the third year that we have the variety. Last year it was a lot less good than now."
Potatoes are also growing in Eethen, North Brabant. On the Crop tour plot there, the largest tubers were at 40 millimeters, according to potato grower Jacob Branderhorst.
Still a lot to happen
Plots at the Crop Tour were also planted a little later this season than the second week of May due to the persistent wet spring. In addition, growth was disappointing shortly after planting due to the abundance of moisture. On these plots, and sometimes in specific locations, tuber formation has only just started or is actually still in progress. In Leuth, Gelderland, potato grower Wouter Vierboom is still developing tubers.
Potato grower Gybert Doggen from Wouw in Brabant has just completed tuber formation. When growing two plants on the plot, there was once 6 and 10 potatoes on one plant.
On the Crop tour plot IJzendijke (Zeeland) the difference in growth stages within the plot is very large. One part is in bloom and you can already find tubers in the potato ridge, but not in another part. Here, potato grower Brian Salomé replanted part of his plot later in the spring due to the heavy rainfall. Here the potatoes are a lot less developed and tuber formation is still in progress.
Jesse Torringa
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