Technology advances in potato cultivation in Europe

Digitization, automation, and artificial intelligence are expected to mark the next stage in the development of potato production. This theme will be highlighted at PotatoEurope 2026, scheduled for September 9th and 10th, 2026, in Rittergut Gestorf, Springe, near Hanover, Germany. The event will feature approximately 300 exhibitors and will showcase demonstrations of machinery for planting, harvesting, loading, and crop protection technologies.

The German Agricultural Society (DLG) is organizing the fair. The technical program will also include “DLG Spotlight: Digital Farming powered by FarmRobotix.” This initiative will address robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence applied to agricultural production. DKE-Data, DLG, and FarmRobotix will present technologies through live demonstrations, technical discussions, and hands-on activities.

Productivity increase

According to technical material prepared by Rolf Peters of PotatoConsult UG, the continuous increase in potato productivity is partly due to the mechanization of agricultural operations. The advancement of digitalization and artificial intelligence opens a new phase. The expectation involves gains throughout the value chain.

Peters highlights a key point for the adoption of these technologies. The solutions need to meet the agronomic requirements of potatoes and simplify operations on farms. Restrictions on fertilizer use and reduced availability of pesticides also influence how each production step is carried out.

In planting, digital tools already allow for planning machine traffic in the field from the office. The plans are sent to tractors via USB devices or cloud systems. The information can also include variable row shutoff in irregularly shaped areas and automated creation of traffic lanes.

Quality criteria

Uniformity of planting depth and regular row formation are key quality criteria, explains Rolf Peters. These factors influence plant emergence, crop development, and the required harvest depth. The combination of sensors with hydraulic chassis control systems allows for maintaining a constant distance between the planter's main structure and the soil surface. This condition favors precise control of the furrow openers and uniform row formation.

There are greater benefits in planting seed potatoes with narrow seed spacing. The usual 20-millimeter spacing leads to variations in planting depth. Larger tubers tend to be planted deeper in the furrow than smaller ones. In planters with horizontal elements, wider spacing can also reduce the uniformity of row spacing. This can interfere with the size distribution of the harvested tubers.

The increasing use of hydraulically powered planting elements, and in the future, electric ones, allows for adjusting the spacing between plants in traffic lane areas. It also allows for the application of specific planting maps for each plot.

Weeds

In weed management, potatoes present a known challenge. Slower initial growth and relatively wide row spacing reduce their ability to compete in the early stages. Mechanical control, herbicides, and the selection of cultivars with faster canopy closure can help reduce weed pressure.

Variable weather makes it difficult to determine the correct time for mechanical intervention. The potato root system extends along the sides of the rows. Intervention at an inappropriate time can harm crop development. Delays, on the other hand, reduce efficiency against larger weeds.

One alternative cited by Rolf Peters involves mechanical cultivators with a wider working width. With autonomous implement guidance or individual lateral movement of the tools, these machines can work over multiple traffic lines and reduce damage to plants.

During harvesting and storage, risks are concentrated on damage to the tubers. Undetected failures can compromise storage and subsequent marketing. Sensors and cameras are beginning to improve the monitoring of product flow within harvesters. Artificial intelligence is starting to capture and analyze information generated by images during harvesting.

Separation of impurities

Another technical point involves the separation of soil, stones, and impurities, explains Peters. Some farms remove stones or separate materials before planting to facilitate a high-capacity harvest with less contamination. Others use mechanical, pneumatic, and electronic systems to remove impurities only at the entrance to storage.

This shift stems from increased harvesting capacity in the field, a shortage of reliable labor for manual sorting, and advancements in optoelectronic sorting. These systems utilize image recognition and processing, with increasing support from artificial intelligence.

Electro-optical systems can also be used in the shipping of stored potatoes. They detect visible impurities and defects, such as rotten or damaged tubers. In principle, they can also classify unwashed potatoes by quality, provided they have the appropriate software.

Current trends point towards dedicated sorting machines. They capture multiple images of each tuber before the decision is made and can divide the flow into more than three fractions or size classes. Despite the higher investment, producers associate these systems with reduced labor needs and greater flexibility to meet different quality and size specifications required by buyers.