Pre-sprouting first early potatoes
A deliverable lot early
Pre-sprouting (chitting) can achieve a growth advantage of 10-14 days
Benefits
- Pre-sprouting can achieve a growth advantage of 10-14 days. Practical experience has shown the benefits of growing a deliverable lot (40 mm+ and sufficient underwater weight) of potatoes as early as possible. In general, the more potatoes on the market, the lower the price.
- Pre-sprouting means the role of the mother tuber ends sooner. This is an advantage for some varieties.
- Pre-sprouting creates a sturdy, hard sprout. Early varieties often naturally have a weak sprout.
- Delivery of seed potatoes in December – January will be possible. The Joppe pre-sprouting system effectively becomes a storage system. The discount for autumn delivery will allow a quick ROI. Fill the pre-sprouting bags in December-January for the best quality sprouts.
Advisory calendar
early potatoes
ALL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR AVERAGE CONDITIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS.
BECAUSE WE HAVE NO INFLUENCE ON SEED QUALITY, WEATHER, BUILDINGS, MACHINERY AND OPERATOR EXPERTISE WE CANNOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR RESULTS.
Pre-sprouting (chitting) early potatoes
Advice*
- Cooling
Mechanical cooling until the end of November. - Top sprout
For first early potatoes, the top sprout must not break. Due to the early planting date, the sprouts have less exposure to daylight. With early potatoes, it is important to supply large enough (40+mm) potatoes with sufficient underwater weight using relatively few tubers. - Warming
If the seed potatoes are very cold and/or it is late in the season, it is a good idea to warm the seed potatoes with a heater at a temperature of 18°-20°C.
Continue heating until the white sprouting tips appear. Then stop heating immediately. Ensure there is enough oxygen in the room. - Cutting
Cutting long seed potatoes and pre-sprouting is possible.
Read cutting and pre-sprouting for more information. - Hardening off
Indoors: an insulated shed with doors or shutters in more than one wall is ideal. As long as the temperature is above 0°C, always leave the doors open.
Outdoors: this gives the best hardening off results.
Place the racks 2-high and 1 m apart.
Place the racks in a north-south direction if possible.
Move the pre-sprouting racks indoors if there is a risk of frost.
Ensure sufficient ventilation to remove condensation and carbon dioxide. Place the racks outdoors again as soon as possible. - Transfer to another bag
If the pre-sprouting racks are outdoors or in a shed, this is not necessary. If not, the seed potatoes can be transferred to another bag. Lift a full rack above an empty rack with a forklift. Loosen the Velcro fastening from a full bag to release the seed potatoes into the empty pre-sprouting bag. - Hardening off time
Early varieties generally have weaker sprouts. In this case, aim for 8 weeks or longer of pre-sprouting. Try to fill the pre-sprouting bags in (early) January. Make arrangements with your seed potato supplier early to ensure timely delivery. - Which pre-sprouting bag?
Standard pre-sprouting bag (10 cm cords). Capacity 100 kg. Rain covers are not necessary if hardening off takes place indoors. A rain cover is recommended if hardening off takes place outdoors. - Bags per pre-sprouting rack
Sprinter2 pre-sprouting rack: 11 narrow pre-sprouting bags. Technically, 14 standard pre-sprouting bags can be placed on a pre-sprouting rack. Early varieties often have a genetically weaker sprout than late varieties.
* ALL ADVICE GIVEN APPLIES TO AVERAGE CONDITIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. AS WE HAVE NO INFLUENCE ON THE QUALITY OF SEED POTATOES, WEATHER, BUILDINGS, MACHINERY AND THE EXPERTISE OF THE USER, WE CANNOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR THE RESULTS.
Pre-sprouting, chitting
In a shed
Large lots of potatoes can be placed in the shed in January – February. The racks can be stacked 2 or 3-high indoors. Open the doors and shutters as much as possible in frost-free periods. Hardening off can take place outdoors from March until planting. The ideal situation!
Outside
hardening off
Hardening off outside using the full force of the wind will form sturdy, hard sprouts. The rain cover will protect the bags from most of the rain. Make sure a frost-free space is available.
Stacking 3-high
The Sprinter2 pre-sprouting racks can be stacked 3-high in the shed.
Each stack is 4.5 m high.
Unloading in planter
The planter can be filled quickly.
Open the Velcro strip.
The drop height is low.
Interesting articles
To the right, you can read articles from the trade press. Colleagues talk candidly about their experiences. Take advantage of them!
Need advice or want to place an order?
Curious about what
Cor Joppe
can do for you?
