A systematic review of vegetation indices for potato growth monitoring and tuber yield prediction from remote sensing

Abstract

Crop intelligence and yield prediction of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) are important to farmers and the processing industry. Remote sensing can provide timely information on growth status and accurate yield predictions during the growing season. However, there is limited documentation on the most suitable vegetation indices (VIs) and optimal growth stages for acquiring remote sensing imagery of potato. To address this knowledge gap, a systematic review was conducted. Original scientific manuscripts published between 2000 and 2022 were identified using various databases. The findings indicate that satellite imagery is the most widely used source of remote sensing data for tuber yield prediction, whereas unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVs) and handheld sensors are more frequently applied for growth monitoring. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), red-edge chlorophyll index (CIred-edge), green chlorophyll index (CIgreen), and optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI) are the most frequently used VIs for the growth and yield estimation of potato. The tuber initiation stage was found to be the most appropriate stage for remote sensing data acquisition. This review will assist potato farmers, agronomists and researchers in selecting the most suitable VIs for monitoring specific growth variables and selecting the optimal timing during the growing season to obtain remote sensing images.