Open access publications in the SLU publication database

The potato plant has a relatively shallow root system which results in decrease yield and quality even at short periods of draught. To maintain optimal soil moisture during the cultivation period is not always easy and monitoring tools may be necessary. The purpose of the study was to clarify the effect of an optimized irrigation with the help of soil moisture sensors and forecasting models. The aim of this was to study the effects on yield and quality as well as relating the result to the costs of the monitoring equipment. The yield from the different treatments differed significantly from each other in the variety Kuras, where the highest yield was seen in the treatment that received “optimal irrigation” (10-30 kPa) and lowest yield in the non-irrigated. The variety Seresta was basically following the same pattern as Kuras, but the differences did not show statistical significance. The different soil moisture levels did not affect starch content significantly, independent of year and variety. Monitoring equipment for soil moisture and irrigation is not recommended in the production of starch potato production as the price for the product is too low to cover the investments with the current price range. However, when it comes to fresh market potato monitoring optimal soil moisture is always profitable due to higher quality demands and higher price of the product.