Dark spring
We have had a dark spring. The cumulative light sum from week 49 to week 19 is approximately 6% lower than in 2023 and approximately 9% lower than the multi-year average. This obviously has an impact on productions to date; productions across all segments are lower than last year and the plant load is often higher.
With the current slightly milder weather in recent weeks, we have seen the growth time decrease significantly, sometimes even to less than 40 days for Sweetelle, for example. Productions are very high, with productions well above 1 kg per m2 for several weeks
Plant load & Fruit weight
We see a maximum plant load with almost all growers. More than 700 pieces per m2 is no exception for Sweetelle and Duelle. Due to the (current) reasonably good light conditions, the high plant loads do not yet cause energy shortages in the crop.
The flower quality and setting is good everywhere. For growers who aerate more easily, we see the leaf length decreasing rapidly.
Adorelle easily maintains its growth. With snack tomatoes we see fruit weights between 10.5 and 12.5 grams, sometimes lower with growers who started the summer distance (too) early.
For optimal cultivation, it is best to increase the planting distance in several steps, anticipating the increasing light sum.