Internship experiences Kris Partoens

Naam:	Kris Partoens
Woonplaats:	Peer (BE)
Stageperiode:	maart tot mei 2017
Soort stage:	bachelorproef
School:	Thomas More Geel ; Agro & biotechnologie

Because I had entered my final year in my education, I was supposed to conduct a bachelor's thesis. I conducted an investigation that I would defend later. After a long search for a suitable company, my eye fell on Van den Borne potatoes. This company soon seemed to be very innovative. It was certain that I would learn various novelties here.

I investigated the influence of the soil temperature on the shoot formation of potatoes. In previous studies, the influence of temperature on the above-ground part of the potato has already been investigated. I was now investigating underground growth. Something completely new. The aim of this research was to draw up a formula so that a potato grower can predict when a potato would just rise above the ground. This can be a great help for planning spraying, etc.
My internship started with scanning different fields with the Dualem soil conductivity sensor. Later I helped in transporting seed potatoes to the fields. A sample was taken with every delivery of seed potatoes. This sample was planted on a test field.

At the end of the stage, the shoot length of the different potatoes was measured. These measurement results were associated with the soil temperature. I could conclude that the formula prepared in advance was not accurate enough. So more research should be done on this topic in the future. By adding some variables to this formula, a better result may be achieved that can be used in practice.
I would like to thank the Van den Borne family for conducting my research at their company. I experienced this internship as a very varied and educational period.