Characterizing Diploid and Tetraploid Potato Cultivars with Reflectance Spectroscopy

Characterizing potato cultivars is essential for diagnosing the specific production and management requirements. Employing techniques that facilitate rapid, objective, and cost-effective identification of various aspects of plant physiology is crucial for generating this valuable information. In this study, our goal was to identify different potato cultivars across three distinct phenological phases utilizing reflectance spectroscopy within the visible and near-infrared ranges. Reflectance spectra were measured using a portable spectrometer on leaves obtained from five different potato cultivars. We constructed classification models to determine the accurate classification percentages for each cultivar within specific phenological stages. General trends in the reflectance spectra were observed, which were consistent across all five cultivars within the measured range. During the vegetative phase, there was a uniform reflectance of around 5% in the green region. This value experienced a slight decrease during the flowering phase and subsequently rose to approximately 12% during the senescence phase. In the near-infrared (NIR) range, a reduction in reflectance from 50 to 30% was noted during the flowering phase, followed by a cultivar-dependent increase towards senescence. The specific wavelengths identified in the spectra enabled the accurate classification of plants from each cultivar across the vegetative, flowering, and senescence phases. The classification rates were notably high, with a success rate of 87% for Var. Paola, 96% for Var. Paysandú, 93% for Var. Violeta, and 100% for cv. 448 and 440. The Var. Paola exhibited superior correct classification rates, ranging from 85% for Paysandú and Violeta, 90% for cv. 440, to 100% for cv. 448. The characterization of potato cultivars using spectroscopy techniques yields valuable information that serves as fundamental input for precision agriculture systems.