Project: Variable rate irrigation and nitrogen fertilization in Potato; engage the spatial variation
| Acronym | POTENTIAL (Reference Number: WaterJPI-JC-2016_15) |
| Duration | 01/04/2017 - 31/03/2020 |
| Project Topic | With a total acreage of more than 5 200 km² in all four countries, potato is an important agricultural crop in Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands and Germany. In the participating countries percolation water contains NO3--concentrations higher than 25 mg/l so they have a common interest in reducing N-leaching and increasing the water use efficiency by irrigation in potato fields. It is expected that irrigation in potato will be crucial in the future to maintain stable yields as scenarios predict an increased occurrence of climatic extremes. The objective of the proposed POTENTIAL (“Variable rate irrigation and nitrogen fertilization in Potato; engage the spatial variation.”) project is to increase N and water use efficiency in potato. Innovative precision farming solutions are used to meet this objective. Spatio-temporal variation in water and N deficit in potato fields is revealed using various data sources (satellite, drone, EMI, tractor-mounted sensors, …). The combination of these different types of information on above-and below-ground crop and soil information opens up new opportunities for a sound decision making. The project envisages the translation of years of research on mapping the variability in crop vitality and soil condition to specific task maps for farmers in order to optimize their management. The consortium is multidisciplinary, which guarantees a short loop feedback and a broad distribution of the research results over all stakeholders. POTENTIAL will lead to the adoption of management practices with increased water and nutrient use efficiency in potato cultivation in Europe. |
| Network | WaterWorks2015 |
| Call | 2016 JOINT CALL: Sustainable management of water resources in agriculture, forestry and freshwater aquaculture sectors |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soil Service of Belgium - Bodemkundige Dienst van België vzw | Coordinator | Belgium |
| 2 | Flemisch Institute for Technological Research | Partner | Belgium |
| 3 | Université de Liège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech | Partner | Belgium |
| 4 | Forschungszentrum Jülich | Partner | Germany |
| 5 | Aarhus University | Partner | Denmark |
| 6 | Fasterholt | Partner | Denmark |
| 7 | Wageningen University - Applied Plant Research (PPO) | Partner | Netherlands |