Despite the drought, onions were sown later this year.

The average sowing date for onions of the Boerenbusiness Gewastour 2026 falls on April 11. This means the onions on the Gewastour plots were sown later than last year, when the onions went into the ground on average as early as March 20. Compared to previous years, 2026 is certainly not the earliest year either. In the past five years, sowing was only later in 2024, when the average sowing date fell to April 19 due to the wet spring.

Nationally, virtually every day in April was suitable for sowing onions, except for the first few days. Consequently, most fields were planted around the second week of April. However, the dry conditions also present challenges. On some fields, particularly on heavier soils, it was not always easy to sow the seed properly into the firm soil, causing areas to dry out. Therefore, on many fields, the irrigation reel was quickly brought into play to irrigate the field and ensure a uniform and even start for the crop.

The average sowing date of the ten plots of the Boerenbusiness Dutch Crop tour comes out on April 11. That is a good three weeks later than last year, when the average sowing date was March 20. However, there are significant differences across the country. For instance, the first plot in Philippine (Zeeland) was sown on March 20, and in Beemte Broekland (Gelderland), the seed will go into the ground this coming Monday, April 27.

On March 20, Jacky Dieleman decided to sow his onions. At that time, conditions were good enough, although the weather was still changeable. "The soil had warmed up nicely, and as it looks now, we will get a nice shower after sowing. What more could you want?" Jacky explained in a week in which precipitation was expected again and lower temperatures were on the horizon.

The importance of growing away smoothly is increasing.
Onion sowing progressed fastest in the south of the Netherlands, followed by the regions in the north and center of the country. Despite the 'beautiful month of April', more and more growers are taking a patient approach to sowing their onions. The increasing loss of effective crop protection products makes rapid early development of the crop increasingly important. The sooner the onion emerges, the less vulnerable it is in the early stages. Nowadays, this realization is increasingly factored into the decision to consider not only the suitability of the soil but also weather conditions in a broader sense.

A good example of this is Reinder Hogenhout, a participant in the Frisian Crop Tour. According to him, pressure from the grass root-knot nematode plays a significant role in onion cultivation. This is one of the most troublesome nematodes in onions, where plant losses can increase considerably. "Let the temperature rise first," he said. "So that the onions can continue to grow well and eventually emerge quickly."

Ruud Vossebeld from Beemte Broekland in Gelderland was also in no hurry to sow his onions this year for the same reason. Ruud plowed the last part of his field yesterday morning (April 23), after which he considers it important that the soil warms up properly before the onions go into the ground. "We are on fairly moist, loamy soil here. As a result, the seed always gets going well, and I think it is important that the onions are established quickly. Moreover, I have been doing it this way for years and I am very pleased with it," Ruud explains.

Jan Willem Veldman

Jan Willem Veldman is an all-round arable farming editor at BoerenbusinessIn addition, he runs an arable farm in partnership with his father in Appingedam (Groningen), where, among other things, grains, onions and sugar beets are grown.

jw.veldman@dcami.com

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