Internship experiences Louis-Philippe Verstraete

Naam:	Louis-Philippe Verstraete
Woonplaats:	Oostnieuwkerke (BE)
Stageperiode:	april en juli tot september 2016
Soort stage:	Vrijwillige stage
School:	Universiteit Gent, Bio-Ingenieurswetenschappen landbouwkunde

In the search for practical experience in large-scale agriculture with an innovative character, I found Van den Borne potatoes at the ideal company. During the entire internship, work was mainly done on soil inventory, crop sampling and fertilization. This was supplemented with the activities of the moment, such as sprinkling, construction of a new storage shed, sowing green manure, as well as visiting fairs and study days in connection with. potato cultivation or precision farming.

In the spring I scanned 200 hectares with the Dualem 21S soil conductivity sensor, both for my own potatoes and for third parties. After planting, the soil conductivity maps also proved their usefulness in the summer to locate the zones with a higher risk of rot, so that targeted sampling could then take place. When testing the Fritzmeier Profi 60 bottom drill, the drill points were also determined on the basis of the conductivity maps. During the summer we were mainly busy with the biweekly measurements for crop sampling. The extremely wet June month and high disease pressure made 2016 a very interesting year from a botanical point of view, but in addition to adjusting the growth process, economic motives also became extra important in deciding to what extent further investments could be made for certain parcels. This year, a fertilizer mixing kitchen was also brought into use to more efficiently mix nutrient solutions for spray application. This concept will be further refined in the future and linked to a growth model with specific mixtures per growth stage. At the end of the internship, I was able to present the soil drill and scanner at a demonstration afternoon on soil quality in Bottelare, as well as at Interpom Primeurs in Kortrijk.

I would like to thank the entire Van den Borne family and employees for their openness, knowledge sharing, pleasant stay and all the opportunities they have offered. I would like to start working in my home region with precision farming and meticulous cultivation monitoring in the near future.