Dutch Crop tour Onions- Week 14
Drought makes this year different from the last two
Not being able to sow due to too wet conditions is, in contrast to the last two years, not an issue now. In fact: with the cold east and north winds, irrigation is already being used to provide the onions with sufficient moisture to get them evenly up. With temperatures that touch 20 degrees, the onions do come up quickly.
This year follows the Boerenbusiness Crop tour in addition to the yellow onions also four plots with red seed onions. The four growers we are going to follow are: Arjen Jacobs from Wezup (Drenthe), Jan Berend Biesheuvel from Zeewolde (Flevoland), Ruud Vossebeld from Beemte-Broekland (Gelderland) and Reinder Hogenhout from Kimswerd (Friesland). The growers have already sown the onions, except Ruud Vossebeld, who thinks it is still too early and too cold. He plans to sow at the end of next week.
Reinder Hogenhout was the last to sow; this happened last Saturday and Sunday. He chose the varieties Redray (red) and Hyroad (yellow). In the meantime, he is busy installing drip irrigation to provide his crops with sufficient water. Peter Holster has also laid out and connected the drip irrigation. It is still uncertain whether the drip irrigation will provide sufficient water for germination. Reinder indicates that he has no experience with drip irrigation yet, but he assumes that it will work out fine.
Jesse Torringa, commercial promoter at De Groot en Slot, adds: "In the Netherlands, about 85% to 90% of the planned area of onions has now been sown. Some growers have yet to start, but many are waiting for rain because the soil is too dry. The longer it stays dry, the fewer growers will be deterred by the lack of precipitation. The soil is drying out quickly due to the current temperatures, wind and sun."
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