Based on the first field experiment in the AgriSens DEMMIN 4.0 – Use Case 4 “Irrigation” in 2021, the first publication was recently published. The overall objective was to investigate the variety-specific optimal ranges of plant available water of high-amylopectin potatoes and effects of different irrigation levels on yield, quality and economic responses at the farm level.
Potatoes are one of the major crops in worldwide food production. They are ranking fifth in the total cultivated area after sugar cane, maize, wheat, and rice, and are usually reacting sensitive to short-time drought stress due to their sparse and poorly branched root system. Therefore, water management is crucial in potato production. However, potatoes are often over-irrigated in agricultural practice, as farmer´s often believe that increasing the irrigation level leads to higher yields and increased tuber quality. There are quite new potato varieties, which are characterized by high starch content and quality, and which are mainly used for potato-based convenience food production. However, in irrigation decision support systems, these potatoes and their cultivar-specific water demands are not regarded. The main finding was that 10% less irrigation water, compared to the farmer´s common irrigation, is enough for securing the crop´s irrigation demand, leading to considerable water savings per growing season. Please find the fully accessible paper at the Agronomy Journal: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/11/2685
Wenzel, J.L., Conrad, C., Piernicke, T., Spengler, D. and Pöhlitz, J. (2022) Assessing the Impact of Different Irrigation Levels on Starch Potato Production. Agronomy, 12, 2685. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112685.