Insights into the potential of potato production across Europe

Marloes P. van Loon; Seyyedmajid  Alimagham; Isaac Kwesi Abuley; Hendrik Boogaard; Dominika  Boguszewska-Mankowska; Jose I  Ruiz de Galarreta; Edwin H.  Geling; Oleksii Kryvobok; Oleksandr Kryvoshein; Gorka  Landeras; Natsumi  Okuda; Bruno  Parisi; Cezary  Trawczynski; Krystyna  Zarzynska; Martin K van Ittersum

doi:10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002

Insights into the potential of potato production across Europe

Marloes P. van Loon^*, Seyyedmajid Alimagham, Isaac Kwesi Abuley, Hendrik Boogaard, Dominika Boguszewska-Mankowska, Jose I Ruiz de Galarreta, Edwin H. Geling, Oleksii Kryvobok, Oleksandr Kryvoshein, Gorka Landeras, Natsumi Okuda, Bruno Parisi, Cezary Trawczynski, Krystyna Zarzynska, Martin K van Ittersum

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Agroecology - Crop Health

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Europe is an important potato producer, showing a strong decline in areas and increases in yield over the past decades, but with large regional differences. This study aims to characterise current European potato production by analysing yields, revealing yield gaps (Yg), and assessing key factors that explain actual (Ya) and potential yields (Yw, for rainfed systems; Yp, for irrigated systems). We selected 13 key potato producing countries, jointly accounting for 90% of the European potato area. Local data were used to simulate Yw and Yp, while Ya was retrieved from sub-national statistics. Then, we analysed main factors affecting yields using boundary line analysis on nitrogen input and crop water availability. Results showed that European potato production on current acreage can increase by 55% when yields would increase to 80% of their potential. The largest potential production gains featured in eastern Europe (59% Yg, 59% of potato area), thereafter western Europe (32% Yg, 25% of potato area), and smallest gains in northern and southern Europe (43% and 45% Yg, with relatively small acreages of 9% and 6%, respectively). Our analysis revealed that nitrogen input was a limiting factor in eastern Europe, while we found substantial overuse in some western European countries. Under rainfed conditions, water was the main limiting factor in relatively few potato cultivation areas. In irrigated areas, e.g. in southern Europe, irrigation water requirements to approach Yp are large, which becomes increasingly challenging. Insights from this study can be used to guide future development and innovation in potato cultivation across Europe.

Original language	English
Article number	4
Journal	Crop and Environment
Volume	4
Issue	2
Pages (from-to)	97-106
Number of pages	10
ISSN	2773-126X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002
Publication status	Published - Jun 2025

Keywords

Crop modelling
Europe
Nitrogen input
Potato
Water requirement
Yield gap analysis

Access to Document

10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002Licence: CC BY

Library access?

Check availability with the Royal Danish Library

Cite this

van Loon, M. P., Alimagham, S., Abuley, I. K., Boogaard, H., Boguszewska-Mankowska, D., Ruiz de Galarreta, J. I., Geling, E. H., Kryvobok, O., Kryvoshein, O., Landeras, G., Okuda, N., Parisi, B., Trawczynski, C., Zarzynska, K., & van Ittersum, M. K. (2025). Insights into the potential of potato production across Europe. Crop and Environment, 4(2), 97-106. Article 4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002

@article{89dce7d21d21420d99c565439e0b77df,

title = "Insights into the potential of potato production across Europe",

abstract = "Europe is an important potato producer, showing a strong decline in areas and increases in yield over the past decades, but with large regional differences. This study aims to characterise current European potato production by analysing yields, revealing yield gaps (Yg), and assessing key factors that explain actual (Ya) and potential yields (Yw, for rainfed systems; Yp, for irrigated systems). We selected 13 key potato producing countries, jointly accounting for 90% of the European potato area. Local data were used to simulate Yw and Yp, while Ya was retrieved from sub-national statistics. Then, we analysed main factors affecting yields using boundary line analysis on nitrogen input and crop water availability. Results showed that European potato production on current acreage can increase by 55% when yields would increase to 80% of their potential. The largest potential production gains featured in eastern Europe (59% Yg, 59% of potato area), thereafter western Europe (32% Yg, 25% of potato area), and smallest gains in northern and southern Europe (43% and 45% Yg, with relatively small acreages of 9% and 6%, respectively). Our analysis revealed that nitrogen input was a limiting factor in eastern Europe, while we found substantial overuse in some western European countries. Under rainfed conditions, water was the main limiting factor in relatively few potato cultivation areas. In irrigated areas, e.g. in southern Europe, irrigation water requirements to approach Yp are large, which becomes increasingly challenging. Insights from this study can be used to guide future development and innovation in potato cultivation across Europe.",

keywords = "Crop modelling, Europe, Nitrogen input, Potato, Water requirement, Yield gap analysis",

author = "{van Loon}, {Marloes P.} and Seyyedmajid Alimagham and Abuley, {Isaac Kwesi} and Hendrik Boogaard and Dominika Boguszewska-Mankowska and {Ruiz de Galarreta}, {Jose I} and Geling, {Edwin H.} and Oleksii Kryvobok and Oleksandr Kryvoshein and Gorka Landeras and Natsumi Okuda and Bruno Parisi and Cezary Trawczynski and Krystyna Zarzynska and {van Ittersum}, {Martin K}",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

pages = "97--106",

journal = "Crop and Environment",

issn = "2773-126X",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "2",

}

van Loon, MP, Alimagham, S, Abuley, IK, Boogaard, H, Boguszewska-Mankowska, D, Ruiz de Galarreta, JI, Geling, EH, Kryvobok, O, Kryvoshein, O, Landeras, G, Okuda, N, Parisi, B, Trawczynski, C, Zarzynska, K & van Ittersum, MK 2025, 'Insights into the potential of potato production across Europe', Crop and Environment, vol. 4, no. 2, 4, pp. 97-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002

TY - JOUR

T1 - Insights into the potential of potato production across Europe

AU - van Loon, Marloes P.

AU - Alimagham, Seyyedmajid

AU - Abuley, Isaac Kwesi

AU - Boogaard, Hendrik

AU - Boguszewska-Mankowska, Dominika

AU - Ruiz de Galarreta, Jose I

AU - Geling, Edwin H.

AU - Kryvobok, Oleksii

AU - Kryvoshein, Oleksandr

AU - Landeras, Gorka

AU - Okuda, Natsumi

AU - Parisi, Bruno

AU - Trawczynski, Cezary

AU - Zarzynska, Krystyna

AU - van Ittersum, Martin K

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

N2 - Europe is an important potato producer, showing a strong decline in areas and increases in yield over the past decades, but with large regional differences. This study aims to characterise current European potato production by analysing yields, revealing yield gaps (Yg), and assessing key factors that explain actual (Ya) and potential yields (Yw, for rainfed systems; Yp, for irrigated systems). We selected 13 key potato producing countries, jointly accounting for 90% of the European potato area. Local data were used to simulate Yw and Yp, while Ya was retrieved from sub-national statistics. Then, we analysed main factors affecting yields using boundary line analysis on nitrogen input and crop water availability. Results showed that European potato production on current acreage can increase by 55% when yields would increase to 80% of their potential. The largest potential production gains featured in eastern Europe (59% Yg, 59% of potato area), thereafter western Europe (32% Yg, 25% of potato area), and smallest gains in northern and southern Europe (43% and 45% Yg, with relatively small acreages of 9% and 6%, respectively). Our analysis revealed that nitrogen input was a limiting factor in eastern Europe, while we found substantial overuse in some western European countries. Under rainfed conditions, water was the main limiting factor in relatively few potato cultivation areas. In irrigated areas, e.g. in southern Europe, irrigation water requirements to approach Yp are large, which becomes increasingly challenging. Insights from this study can be used to guide future development and innovation in potato cultivation across Europe.

AB - Europe is an important potato producer, showing a strong decline in areas and increases in yield over the past decades, but with large regional differences. This study aims to characterise current European potato production by analysing yields, revealing yield gaps (Yg), and assessing key factors that explain actual (Ya) and potential yields (Yw, for rainfed systems; Yp, for irrigated systems). We selected 13 key potato producing countries, jointly accounting for 90% of the European potato area. Local data were used to simulate Yw and Yp, while Ya was retrieved from sub-national statistics. Then, we analysed main factors affecting yields using boundary line analysis on nitrogen input and crop water availability. Results showed that European potato production on current acreage can increase by 55% when yields would increase to 80% of their potential. The largest potential production gains featured in eastern Europe (59% Yg, 59% of potato area), thereafter western Europe (32% Yg, 25% of potato area), and smallest gains in northern and southern Europe (43% and 45% Yg, with relatively small acreages of 9% and 6%, respectively). Our analysis revealed that nitrogen input was a limiting factor in eastern Europe, while we found substantial overuse in some western European countries. Under rainfed conditions, water was the main limiting factor in relatively few potato cultivation areas. In irrigated areas, e.g. in southern Europe, irrigation water requirements to approach Yp are large, which becomes increasingly challenging. Insights from this study can be used to guide future development and innovation in potato cultivation across Europe.

KW - Crop modelling

KW - Europe

KW - Nitrogen input

KW - Potato

KW - Water requirement

KW - Yield gap analysis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105006680753&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002

DO - 10.1016/j.crope.2025.03.002

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2773-126X

VL - 4

SP - 97

EP - 106

JO - Crop and Environment

JF - Crop and Environment

IS - 2

M1 - 4

ER -

Insights into the potential of potato production across Europe

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Library access?

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this