Dutch Crop tour Onions - week 14
Cold and precipitation bring late spring into view
Onion growers and contractors are estimated to have been able to sow about 15% of the total Dutch onion acreage to date. Of the participants in the Boerenbusiness During the Gewastour, Jacky Dieleman from Philippine in Zeeland belongs to that group. For most, the soil was not yet suitable enough to sow properly, but the low temperatures of the past period also kept onion growers out of the fields.
However, regional differences are significant. In some growing areas, sowing is already clearly ahead of the rest. On the heavy clay soil of Groningen in the Oldambt, for example—traditionally known as the granary of the Netherlands—an estimated nearly 1.000 hectares of seed onions (both yellow and red) will be grown next year, of which between 80% and 90% had already been sown by early last week.
On these heavy soils, where tillage usually takes place in the autumn, no further tillage is required in the spring. As soon as the soil allows the seed drill in the spring, the onions can therefore be sown immediately. As a result, the first onions sown there have already emerged.
Sowing opportunities are coming back into focus.
After a good week of cold and rainy weather, the outlook around Easter is slightly more favorable again. However, Klaasjan Boer from Kortgene in Zeeland does not have to wait for that and is sowing his onions tomorrow (April 3). He first lightly prepared the soil and then sprayed the product Rebound from our partner NutriTrain. After this spraying, the soil was lightly worked once more, after which the onions can be sown.
According to Gieljam Dejong, co-founder and owner of NutriTrain, Rebound contains readily absorbable calcium that can be directly absorbed by the young (hair) roots. "By supplying sufficient calcium early on, initial growth is stimulated, fewer plants die off, and a more homogeneous crop is created. Thanks to the composition, the calcium does not first need to be converted in the soil. In addition, the fulvic acid Resil (contained in Rebound) ensures more efficient transport within the (seedling) plant," says Gieljam.
According to Gewastour participants David de Wit from Lepelstraat in Brabant and Hubert Linders from Nederweert in Limburg, it is by no means certain that the onions will go into the ground this coming week. For instance, nearly 4 millimeters of rain fell at David's place this morning, while Hubert has to sow his onions on a plot that is usually not the driest. Both agree that the conditions for sowing are not yet ideal. It has been drying out too little lately and, above all, it is still very cold.
Precipitation is on the way again.
It has often been proven in the past that the weather is difficult to predict. The fact that significant rainfall is expected again starting late next week does not necessarily mean that this will actually happen. Weather forecasts could change several times in the coming days. Nevertheless, it suggests that if onion sowing is unsuccessful or only partially successful next week, we appear to be heading for a late spring. Hubert Linders, for instance, indicates that he prefers to wait until the soil is fully fertile, rather than sowing under less than ideal conditions followed by a substantial amount of rain.
By far the most beets sown in Zeeland
Many sugar beet growers took advantage of the dry days in March to start sowing beets. In the last week of the month, another 5.000 hectares of seed went into the ground, bringing the total to 11.500 hectares, approximately 15% of the total acreage.
Cosun Beet Company's sowing figures show significant regional differences. In Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, 43,5% of the acreage has already been sown. The majority of the beets were sown here last week. A week earlier, this figure was 15,7%. On the Zeeland islands, the percentage of 28,3% is also clearly above average.
Jan Willem Veldman
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