Researcher Puck Mulders is affiliated with the Control Systems Technology research group at Eindhoven University of Technology. She did PhD research into optimizing potato yields through data analyzes and wrote a thesis about it.
Where was the research conducted?
‘Through a previous internship, I already had contact with arable farmer Jacob van den Borne in Reusel, Brabant. He is a pioneer in the field of precision agriculture. I knew that he makes a lot of observations and has collected an enormous amount of data over the years. His company with potato cultivation and all available technical information offered me an ideal opportunity to do something with data analyzes in agriculture.’
Using data to make crop choices is an addition to common sense
Puck Mulders, researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology
What did the research process look like?
‘That lasted several years, during which I worked with fellow researchers from Wageningen University & Research. I created growth curves based on available measurement data. This made it clear which factors influence the growth of potatoes and ultimately yields. I was looking for an explanation for yield differences between growing seasons, but also between different plots in the same growing season. Yield variations from 40 to 80 tons per hectare show that a lot of profit can be achieved through cultivation optimization.’
What are interesting findings?
‘In any case, the start of cultivation is extremely important for the final cultivation results. Planting on time in the best plots with the best seed potatoes ultimately produces the highest yields. It may sound logical. But because of our analysis and various experiments, Van den Borne has become more conscious about planting better seed potatoes in his best fields.
‘I also worked on quantifying the impact of extreme weather. We see that the impact of drought varies from field to field and is smallest on fields that can be irrigated, but is not zero. This indicates that there are opportunities here. How can we use the available water more efficiently, while still ensuring that the plants continue to grow under these extreme conditions?’
What added value does this research have for practice?
‘Ultimately, we are looking for a method that gives arable farmers insight into the consequences of crop choices and also what happens if they make different choices. The aim is to provide tools to make cultivation more robust and efficient and also whether it is possible to cultivate with less impact on the environment. I see the use of data as a supplement to common sense.’
Will there be a sequel?
‘That would be nice. I think there are many opportunities to optimize cultivation using a statistical approach. We could specify that per soil type. This seems like a suitable topic for a larger research project.’