The effects of the climate crisis are causing a decrease in the 2022 German potato harvest. According to preliminary estimates, harvest volume will fall to around 10.3m tonnes in 2022, representing a 9% decrease from the previous year or a 5% decrease from the multi-year average.

As shown by preliminary data, the German average was around 38 tonnes per hectare, a 12% decrease from the previous year and an 8% decrease from the multi-year average. The cause is the unusually hot and dry summer months. There were harvest losses, particularly with non-irrigated potatoes.

“Although the area under cultivation increased by around 8,000 hectares to 266,800 hectares in 2022, this did not compensate for the decline in yields. In Lower Saxony, the most important German cultivation area with an area of 46%, farmers also grew potatoes in a larger area. At around 5.2m tonnes, the harvest volume is expected to be only slightly higher than in the previous year,” a German Agriculture Ministry press release shows.

In many areas, the early potato harvest, which began at the end of May and ended on August 10, was still satisfactory. Following primarily favorable planting conditions in the spring, the soil water reserves in the early varieties were sufficient in many places for a good tuber base, and irrigation was used as much as possible. Mid-early and late varieties, on the other hand, were severely harmed by the continuous midsummer conditions.

“Without irrigation, there were considerable yield losses due to drought and heat stress throughout the country, especially in the east, but also in central and southern Germany. Irrigated stocks at least suffered from the heat, and in some cases, water quotas were not sufficient. In Schleswig-Holstein alone, it is expected that slightly above-average yields can be harvested,” the document reveals.

Although many stocks ripened early, harvesting could not take place directly in many places due to hard-dried soils and excessively high temperatures. Damage to the tubers and quality issues during storage would have resulted. However, leaving ripe potatoes in the ground can lead to quality issues. Recently, there have been reports of wireworm infestation. Although the most recent precipitation arrives too late for yield growth, it does improve harvest conditions in many areas.