Fertilization rate optimization model for potato crops to maximize yield while reducing polluting nitrogen emissions

Sustainable agriculture plays a crucial role in addressing climate change and pollution. Farmers must strive to strike a balance between increasing production and reducing environmental impacts. In Colombia, the limited use of technology in agriculture often results in a lack of timely and accurate information for decision making, including determining nitrogen fertilizer rates. To address this, we present a fertilization rate optimization model for potato crops aimed at maximizing yield and minimizing nitrogen emissions to the environment for Colombian potato farmers. In a central region of Colombia, four crop zones were identified and their responses to different fertilizers were studied. The optimization model was structured with two main constraints: limiting the total polluting nitrogen emissions (nitrous oxide N₂O, ammonia NH₃, Runoff, leaching) from applied nitrogenous fertilizer, and limiting the economic investment associated with the cost of the fertilizers. The model allows for analysis of different scenarios. The results indicate that emissions can be reduced by 7.5% through the use of 70.28 fewer kilograms of fertilizer, with only a 0.35% decrease in the final benefit.