A British precision nutrition system for potatoes has delivered yield increases of between 10 and 18 per cent, improved tuber quality and reduced internal defects, while cutting carbon emissions by 31 per cent, Argenpapa reports. The OptiYield platform, developed by Emerald Research, combines analysis of more than 30 soil parameters, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence.
A British precision nutrition system for potato cultivation has achieved yield increases of between 10 and 18 per cent, along with improved tuber quality and a reduction in internal defects, Argenpapa reports.
The tool, called OptiYield, combines advanced soil analysis, field-specific recommendations, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to adjust crop nutrition through the different stages of growth. The system was developed by Emerald Research in response to the limitations of conventional soil testing, which generally concentrates on phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and pH alone.
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OptiYield analyses more than 30 physical, chemical and biological parameters to determine the real availability of nutrients and detect interactions or antagonisms that could affect their uptake. The evaluation includes organic matter, texture, clay mineralogy, biological activity and the speed of nutrient supply during the crop’s periods of greatest demand.
Nutrition plans take into account local conditions, soil type, the variety grown, the target yield, the use of organic manures and rotation history. The platform uses machine learning algorithms trained on 35 years of data collected from agricultural fields in the United Kingdom.
The system can generate recommendations for base fertilisation, propose foliar nutrition programmes and incorporate biostimulants, indicating the timing of application, the location and the compatibility between products. The digital platform allows growers to monitor crop condition and development stages through satellite imagery, while the AI forecasts nutritional needs taking into account weather conditions, soil moisture and plant development. It also records the yield response, the economic return of applications and various environmental indicators, including the carbon footprint.
Independent trials and evaluations carried out on British farms showed yield increases of between 10 and 18 per cent, accompanied by better tuber quality and a reduction in internal defects. The optimisation of fertilisers and the reduction in the number of applications allowed carbon emissions to be cut by 31 per cent. The trials also showed greater crop uniformity, improvements in potato storability and increases in net margins — results that are especially important for growers linked to processors through contracts.
The programme can integrate biological products aimed at improving nutrient use, soil structure, stress tolerance and natural disease resistance. It also provides for foliar fertilisers with nitrogen, magnesium, manganese, zinc and phosphorus for situations where uptake from the soil is limited by environmental conditions.
For a UK potato sector coming off what growers describe as one of the most difficult seasons in decades, a validated tool promising double-digit yield gains and a near-third cut in emissions arrives at a sensitive moment. Contracted potato production — where margins depend on hitting quality specifications — is precisely the segment where precision nutrition can pay back fastest, and the platform’s emphasis on net margin rather than gross yield suggests its developers know exactly who their customer is.
Whether OptiYield’s trial results hold up across soil types and seasons at commercial scale is the question UK growers will want answered as the system is rolled out more widely.
