Many minitubers minimises the chance of mistakes CULTIVATION AND TECHNOLOGY ery which is also more labour efficient. Moreover, they can be more easily and more accurately fertilised than the smaller stock fields, and the better distribution of fertiliser also produces a much more even growth. In the small stock fields, we occasionally found differences in growth and colour, which makes it much more difficult to select them and they are therefore attractive to aphids. Thanks to accurate fertilising, all plants now develop evenly and in a more natural way, which minimises the chance of bacterial infections. Another advantage of bigger fields is that there is less chance of variety hybridisation.’ ‘The simpler the technology, the cheaper the purchase cost and maintenance; the less chance of error, the smaller the chance of mistakes in the cultivation.’ Extra insurance premium At that point, De Schutter junior came back to the risk problem, where it all started. ‘Stock breeding with various generations need not necessarily produce stock of lesser quality than cultivating minitubers like we do. The only thing is that, because of the faster multiplication and its subsequent multiplications, the chances are that you make fewer mistakes. You grow one generation less, which means less risk and all that because of the larger surface and the faster multiplication. We currently supply most S seed after 3 years of multiplication, but we can also supply seed after the second year for those who want it. The big advantage of that is that you get stock which has much less chance of catching diseases. We all know that each extra field generation runs a greater risk of contracting disease. That’s what we learn in theory and in practice. It’s true, of course, that buying second generation stock is quite costly. Most customers think that price is still too high. Anyone making a calculation, however, will find out that, ultimately, the costs are better than anticipated. Certainly when you view the purchase as an extra insurance premium. Let’s say that a second field generation seed is 20 eurocents more expensive per kilogram than a current S seed. After one multiplication at your own farm, recalculated at the cost price, the profit is 0.5 eurocents per kilogram of end product. A drop in category is more expensive.’ Simple system The secret of the fast multiplication system of the De Schutter Partnership is the cultivation of minitubers in hydroculture, also known as hydroponics. This is the cultivation of potato plants in containers through which water with soluble nutrients flows. ‘In China, aeroponics is used a lot. This is a hanging culture in which the root system and the small tubers receive their water and nutrients through humidifiers via a water-pipe system with nozzles. This technology is much more complicated and expensive than what we apply here. In collaboration with Timo ter Voort of Living Foods, we have tried to develop the simplest system possible. Our arguments for this were: the simpler the technology, the cheaper the purchase cost and maintenance; the less chance of error, the smaller the chance of mistakes in the cultivation.’ There is always one full-time worker attending the greenhouse, if necessary supplemented by a temporary worker and father and son De Schutter. Two rounds, five sections In the greenhouse, De Schutter shows how this cultivation of minitubers actually works. When we enter the greenhouse 12 Potato World 2011 • number 3 Pagina 11
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