Potato Crop Nitrogen Status Assessment to Improve N Fertilization Management and Efficiency: Past–Present–Future

Abstract

Improving nitrogen use efficiency is important for the potato crop, because of its relatively low ability to take up available soil mineral nitrogen (N). Splitting of N fertilizer application is a suitable approach to better match N need and supply. In-season crop N monitoring methods are therefore required to support such strategies. This paper deals with the state of the art and potential development of characteristics, use and implementation of well known and more recent methods aimed to assess in-season potato Crop Nitrogen Status (CNS). A short overview of this concept is given for the potato crop. The most important and available methods for CNS assessment are evaluated for their accuracy, precision, sensitivity, sensibility and feasibility. These are: the petiole sap nitrate concentration test; the leaf chlorophyll concentration measurement using a handheld chlorophyll meter; the measurement of crop light reflectance through a hand-held radiometer using passive sensors. More recent methods still under investigation based on near, ground-based, air-borne or space-borne remote sensing are discussed for their scientific and practical interest in the near future. The current and potential use and implementation of these methods into decision support systems for potato N fertilization management aimed at improving the potato crop nitrogen use efficiency are analysed by: comparing relative and raw data; establishing threshold values of CNS; and combining or integrating the CNS values into models dedicated to N recommendation or to crop growth simulation.

Dry matter accumulation and potato productivity with green manure

“…Additionally, higher availability of nitrogen increases the expansion rate of leaves, total solar radiation intercepted and dry matter accumulation in the plant (Ospina et al, 2014). On the other hand, the lowest dry matter accumulation in the potato shoots with N0 and MN may be due to low availability of N for the tissues of this part of potato plants, causing premature defoliation under low doses of this nutrient (Goffart et al, 2008). The lowest dry mass in the shoots of potato after 65 DAP is due to early senescence of its leaves at the end of the cycle when photoassimilates are translocated to the tubers (Mustonen et al, 2010).…”

“…However, the lower dry matter accumulation in tubers of the plant with mineral fertilizer is due to the negative correlation with nitrogen (Roinilla et al, 2003); larger quantities of mineral nitrogen enhance the growth of the tuber, but with lower concentrations of dry matter and starch (Tein et al, 2014). Additionally, leaf growth is reduced and premature defoliation occurs with low nitrogen, which reduces the translocation of assimilates to the tubers, and consequently their dry matter (Goffart et al, 2008).…”

Emerging and Established Technologies to Increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Cereals

“…Initial attempts to use satellite data were limited due to drawbacks such as: (a) high cost of images; (b) interference by weather conditions (e.g., clouds); (c) slow and time-consuming image pre-processing; (d) delays between image capture and the availability of usable data [106,107]; and (e) overly spaced coverage. The high cost of images is not a limitation anymore since there have been significant reductions in their price or have become available for free.…”

Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technological Applications for Site-specific Management of Fruit and Nut Crops: A Review

“…However, more recent SSCM studies have focused on the determination of the spatial variability of soil nutrients, water stress, location-based crop diseases, and other parameters associated with in-field variability [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]. Some research has also been performed to determine the potential impact of climate change on the spatial variability of crop production, especially on a larger scale [28,29].…”