Dutch Crop tour Potatoes and onions
Crop Tour 2026 focuses on a more interactive format
De Boerenbusiness Dutch Crop tour We are now at the start of our eighth season. Starting this year, we have a more interactive format. This means that participating growers and involved partners will collaborate more intensively, with the aim of making the Crop Tour more valuable for both growers and partners. In addition to the fact that partners will play a larger role during the Crop Tour, we will continue to follow individual growers as always.
Working for this renewed concept Boerenbusiness this year together with a number of partners who are actively giving substance to this:
The Groot and Slot BV
The Great and Slot is supplying the variety to a number of participating onion growers this year Hylander for testing, to gain experience. According to the seed supplier, this variety possesses high resistance to downy mildew. Especially in a season when the pressure from the fungus rises early and significantly, such resistance can really make the difference in keeping the crop healthy. After all, a healthy crop yields more kilos at the end of the growing season.
According to the company, this strong genetics can be seen as an extra safeguard to better keep the fungus under control. After all, plant health remains dependent on multiple factors, such as climatic conditions, cultivation measures, and crop protection. Therefore, it offers no guarantee that the crop will always remain completely free of powdery mildew. In the event of excessive downy mildew pressure or a susceptible crop, this fungus can still strike, but you will see that a Hylander remains healthy longer compared to a conventional variety. That is why, according to De Groot and Slot, this resistance makes the Hylander variety a valuable addition to the overall package.
NutriTrain BV
NutriTrain BV This year, the company is supplying biostimulants to a number of both onion and potato growers. The company consciously chooses an approach that centers on feeding and maintaining the balance of the entire plant. The enterprise takes a plant-physiological perspective: what does a crop truly need at a specific moment? Adjusting this is best achieved through targeted foliar feeding or fertigation according to NutriTrain. You can apply it when needed, rather than predetermining everything. In this process, fulvic acid plays a leading role as a natural transporter.
With any form of stress, the natural processes in the plant change, often causing root growth—and thus plant growth—to stagnate.
Fulvic acid is naturally present in the soil, but often in concentrations that are too low. By actively applying high-quality fulvic acid with precise specifications, natural processes are stimulated, especially during periods of stress. Furthermore, it promotes the interaction between soil microorganisms and the roots (and root hairs) of plants, making the crop more resilient and stimulating root growth. All products in the range are high-quality and certified. Their fulvic acid is CE-certified as a PFC6.b biostimulant. According to the company, this certification is essential in a market where growers are flooded with supply. Growers are faced with a lot, and everything is presented as good or even the best, the company states. According to the company, European-recognized certification helps growers and suppliers separate the wheat from the chaff.
Certis Belchim
Certis Belchim conducting trials this season at various participants of the Crop Tour, in both onions and potatoes. According to the company, the focus in onion cultivation is primarily on the use of 'greener' crop protection products. For instance, a trial is being conducted with NEMguard installed. NEMguard is a natural solution based on polysulfides that protects young onions against nematodes immediately upon sowing by creating a protective zone around the root system. In addition, it has an extra effect against onion and bean flies, ensuring the crop gets off to a strong start to the season. Which additional trials Certis Belchim will conduct within the Crop Tour will be further specified in the coming period.
Syngenta
Syngenta will visit a number of participating plots with their InterraScan in early spring. Arable farms in polder areas are confronted with significant variation in soil structure. From heavy clay to sandy loam, soil composition can differ greatly within a single plot. It is precisely this variation that makes it difficult to apply the right strategy everywhere, Syngenta states on its website. According to the company, a uniform approach simply no longer works.
To provide insight into that variation, it offers Cropwise InterraScan the ability to accurately map the soil. With this technology, you get a detailed picture of the soil per plot. This forms the basis for targeted choices in crop protection, states Syngenta.
The soil maps are subsequently used to create task maps, which allow herbicides to be applied variably. Heavy clay soil often requires a different dosage than lighter soil. By working site-specifically, every part of the field receives what it needs.
According to Syngenta, this approach leads to multiple benefits. You optimize crop protection, use fewer products where possible, and ensure more uniform emergence and growth of crops such as onions, potatoes, and sugar beets.
Applying this technique does require an investment and a different way of working. Combining soil knowledge with precision technology requires planning, but in the long term yields both cost savings and more sustainable cultivation.
Jan Willem Veldman
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