19 Nov Precision Technological Development in Seed Potatoes (POP)
Precision Technological Development in Seed Potatoes (POP)
01/09/2018 – 31/12/2021
Project description
Problem
Agriculture is becoming increasingly data-intensive. With this information, farmers can, for example, vary the planting distance in a specific location and work towards a more uniform number of tubers across the entire plot. The grower wants to optimise his production. Cultivation conditions can be set up per linear metre. The yield is often determined per hectare. This POP project is developing a system that enables the grower to determine his cultivation yield per linear metre instead of per hectare. This offers unprecedented possibilities for cultivation optimisation. Measuring becomes knowing and thus anticipating the best production conditions for the future.
Result
The team has worked towards a test setup on a potato harvester for measuring and presenting the harvest result per linear meter on sand and clay. The setup uses computer vision (camera) techniques to determine the required measurement parameters of the harvested potatoes. The setup provides information on the net yield, the number of tubers and the dimensions of seed potatoes at GPS location. This innovation has been tested in the field for three seasons under different application conditions in order to be further optimized.
The seed potato grower can better control production risks by means of this technology. The grower is able to measure the cultivation result per linear meter of potato ridge and thus determine the local cultivation conditions. As a result, the grower can start to steer towards a higher yield, better soil management and prevention of inefficient use of (artificial) fertilizers and pesticides.
Partners
Toon Tielen (WUR)
Koen van Boheemen (WUR)
Corné Kempenaar (AERES)
Helen Bergman (UvA)
Leendert Koolen (Wieringerwerf)
Henk Geerligs (Anna Paulowna)
Jeroen Noot (GPNHN)
Publications
General
Roos van Maanen – Amsterdam Green Campus
Contact details
T: 06 – 41 06 56 41
r.vanmaanen@uva.nl
Current
The project was completed in terms of content on 31 December 2021. All intended activities and results have been carried out and achieved. After an initial test setup on a laboratory scale in Wageningen, a test setup was mounted on a potato harvester that was tested and optimized in practice during harvesting during three harvest seasons (2019, 2020, 2021). With all the detailed measurement data from three consecutive seasons, the grower concludes the following: The system works well overall and offers a lot of perspective to be used to determine the best cultivation strategy. The results of the project have been published on this web page.
The POP3 team in Wageningen at an application test setup for the detection of potatoes
“European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development:
“Europe invests in its countryside”.
