Gerard van Mastwijk harvested a beautiful, clean quinoa this year. He is one of thirty Dutch growers who grow this pseudocereal. Marc Arts of GreenFood50 expects that the crop has a future in the Netherlands. Varieties and cultivation are in development and processors and consumers have a preference for organic or locally grown quinoa.
Quinoa cultivation and processing in the Netherlands has matured. With GreenFood50 as a specialist in ingredients from quinoa seed and Wageningen University & Research and Radicle Crops as breeders of quinoa varieties for all over the world, the development of this pseudocereal is continuously underway.
The Netherlands is suitable for growing quinoa, says GreenFood50 director Marc Arts. Together with organic grower Gerard van Mastwijk from Zevenhoven, South Holland, he discusses the experiences and future prospects of quinoa in the Netherlands.
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Quinoa is not a real grain. It is more akin to meld. The seed is small. Breeders work on the size, quality and yield of the seed. The grains are preferably larger than 2 millimeters, free of bitter matter and yields of 2 to 3 tons per hectare.
Arts expects to achieve lasting returns for growers and processing from the combination of stable yields of good, pure quinoa and added value for locally or organically grown product.
Van Mastwijk has a good handle on cultivation. Arts calls it special that Naktuinbouw found no other seeds or contamination in his product. This purity is important because the demands on the product are extremely high.
Share experiences
The thirty Dutch quinoa growers share experiences in an app group to continue improving cultivation. For further purification of the seed, there is a special cleaning line at Van de Bilt Zaden en Vlas in Sluiskil, Zeeland. This advanced line can also clean linseed and poppy seed.
Van Mastwijk: 'I prefer to supply dry and clean seed. That makes a difference in the payment and I need that for profitable production.'
Higher price
Arts can negotiate a higher price for quinoa than for imported goods with customers who prefer a Dutch product. He also expects additional growth in the organic area.
'That is due to the European Union's farm-to-fork strategy. If the Netherlands moves to 25 percent organic consumption, more quinoa growers will be needed. That is a growth opportunity for us.'
Changeover in 2017
During his conversion in 2017, Van Mastwijk looked around to find crops for his crop rotation. 'You then look for a mix of crops. I was hinted from two sides: a fellow grower and advisor Sander Bernaerts mentioned quinoa. He also advises on the weed control and fertilization to be followed,” he says.
'The basis of organic cultivation is variation. I have a heavy, lime-poor soil with 50 percent silt content, which is more difficult to cultivate, especially in the spring. The quinoa fit into the building plan for me. I also grow potatoes, onion onions, beetroot, green beans, peas and pumpkins.'
Rotation
Now that the entire company is organic, the grower is working on a suitable seven-year rotation with all those crops. He uses grass clover as a dormant crop and is considering adding grain. For quinoa it needs a good structure and a fine seedbed. 'This year you certainly saw structural damage from operations and hoeing under wet conditions.'
Van Mastwijk threshed the quinoa at the beginning of September and then sowed a green manure. 'The quinoa leaves a fairly rich stubble. You see that a lot of organic matter remains behind the combine.' According to Arts, the grower harvests between 30 and 40 percent of the country's biomass with the quinoa harvest. The rest is organic matter for the soil.
Dry and salty
Doctor says quinoa has a high tolerance to salt and can withstand drought better than other crops. Breeders are now developing varieties that can be harvested after a shorter growing season. The crop can then be sown in the second half of April and harvested in August.
Depending on the region, the shorter growing time is important. For example, Arts mentions the difference of a few degrees between Flevoland and the Wieringermeer. In the latter area it is just a few degrees warmer. Other points of attention are growing more robust and shorter stems, so that the quinoa does not kink and loll.
Waiting list
Quinoa is grown in almost all provinces in the Netherlands. GreenFood50 has a waiting list for growers who want to get started. Organically grown quinoa has an additional cost. This is because keeping the crop weed-free requires attention, fertilization is more expensive for organic growers and the fertilization space is more limited.
Arts: 'For those who start it, the cultivation must be financially interesting and the arable farmer must be able to grow good quality. For conventional, at least 10 hectares per company is wise and for organic 5 hectares due to efficiency in cultivation and transport. Last season we had a total of 160 hectares in the Netherlands and Belgium.'
Source: Nieuweoogst.nl
