Dutch Crop tour Potatoes - week 29
MH spraying is no longer delayed
Now that the potato crop on the various Crop Tour plots is in decline, MH spraying is taking place earlier this year than in previous years. The erratic variations in rainfall also mean that some plots are more developed than others. Many Crop Tour participants have already implemented MH spraying or are currently doing so.
Determining the right time to spray MH is a crucial step in the sprout inhibition process, according to Kees Trouw from Hellevoetsluis in South Holland. Kees finds it difficult to pinpoint the exact moment to start. Due to the recent drought and heat, many growers report that the Innovators are wearing out quickly. Moreover, the varying rainfall within the Netherlands means that the development of the potato crop can vary significantly from region to region.
First MH sprayings carried out
The MH spraying was carried out at several locations in late week 28 and 29, including by Kees Trouw. He had already sprayed the sprout inhibitor on his Innovators at the end of last week. "I think we're definitely two weeks ahead this year," Kees explains. According to Kees, the conditions during last week's spraying were favorable: there had been some rain and the weather was very conducive to growth. He's very pleased with the crop's response to the spraying. "It's essentially a mountain of salt you're spraying. The crop isn't reacting to it at all this year, which was quite different last year."
Both Daan Tap and Wouter Vierboom from Elst en Leuth in Gelderland have already applied the MH spray. "There are already nice tubers under them; I waited for the rain at the beginning of the week to ensure sufficient sap flow. It's been dry for two days now, so this is the ideal time," says Daan. Wouter, on the other hand, was still irrigating during the rain that fell earlier this week. He received 20 millimeters of rain, and he doesn't regret irrigating as well. "The subsoil was so dry here that it could easily have settled," says Wouter. Gybert Doggen from Wouw in Brabant is experiencing a lack of rain, he says. "While everyone else has had a good amount of rainfall, we've only had 6 millimeters here this week. As a result, the crop is already starting to decline quite a bit." Gybert will irrigate his Innovators again this week and then plans to carry out the MH spraying next week.
Summer advantage for later planted crops
René Mesken's innovators from Appelscha, Friesland, aren't ready for MH spraying yet. René planted his potatoes an average of five weeks later than the other Crop Tour participants. "If you plant early, you'll have a relatively 'older' crop as the summer progresses. If you plant later, the 'younger' crop can hold out a bit longer during summer droughts," René argued this spring. Currently, René indicates that the crop hasn't been affected at all by the recent heat. "The crop is growing well; every time I spray, I destroy the regrown crop in the spray tracks." René's innovators are still looking fresh enough, and he expects to carry out the MH spraying in about two weeks.
Jan Willem Veldman
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