Methodological evolution of potato yield prediction: a comprehensive review

Timely and accurate prediction of crop yield is essential for increasing crop production, estimating planting insurance, and improving trade benefits. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a staple food in many parts of the world and improving its yield is necessary to ensure food security and promote related industries. We conducted a comprehensive literature survey to demonstrate methodological evolution of predicting potato yield. Publications on predicting potato yield based on methods of remote sensing (RS), crop growth model (CGM), and yield limiting factor (LF) were reviewed. RS, especially satellite-based RS, is crucial in potato yield prediction and decision support over large farm areas. In contrast, CGM are often utilized to optimize management measures and address climate change. Currently, combined with the advantages of low cost and easy operation, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RS combined with artificial intelligence (AI) show superior potential for predicting potato yield in precision management of large-scale farms. However, studies on potato yield prediction are still limited in the number of varieties and field sample size. In the future, it is critical to employ time-series data from multiple sources for a wider range of varieties and large field sample sizes. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the progress in potato yield prediction studies and to provide a theoretical reference for related research on potato.