Potato Soil Research Articles

Study on the Process of Soil Clod Removal and Potato Damage in the Front Harvesting Device of Potato Combine Harvester

To improve soil clod removal and reduce potato damage in potato combine harvesters, this study investigates the processes involved in soil clod removal and potato collisions within the bar-lift chain separation device of the harvester. It outlines the structure and working principles of the machine, theoretically analyzes the key dimensions of the digging device and potato–soil separation components, and derives specific structural parameters. A dynamic mathematical model of the bar-lift chain is established, from which the dynamic equations are formulated. The analysis identifies factors that influence the dynamic characteristics of the bar-lift chain. This study examines the working principles and separation performance of the potato–soil separation device, with a focus on the collision characteristics between potatoes and both the screen surface and the bars. Key factors such as the separation screen’s line speed, the harvester’s forward speed, and the tilt angle of the separation screen are considered. Simulations are performed using a coupling method based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and Multi-Body Dynamics (MBD). Through simulation experiments, the optimal parameter combinations for the potato–soil separation device are determined. The optimal working parameters are identified as a separation screen line speed of 1.25 m/s, a forward speed of 0.83 m/s, and a tilt angle of 25°. Field harvesting experiments indicate a potato loss rate of 1.8%, a damage rate of 1.2%, an impurity rate of 1.9%, a skin breakage rate of 2.1%, and a yield of 0.15–0.21 ha/h. All results meet national and industry standards. The findings of this research provide valuable theoretical references for simulating potato–soil separation in combine harvesters and optimizing the parameters of these devices. Future potential research will consider the automatic regulation of the excavation volume of the potato–soil mixture, aiming to achieve intelligent control of the potato–soil separation operation.

Investigation of Impact Contact Force Testing and Damage Analysis on Potatoes

To investigate the influencing factors and intrinsic relationships between potato impact force and impact damage during potato soil separation, a testing system for potato impact force was established. The impact force test system is composed of a base, a height adjustment device, a simple separation screen, a soil storage tank, an impact force sensor, and so on. By allowing potatoes to fall freely to simulate the collision process, impact force data are collected, and a high-speed camera is used to locate the impact position and analyze the degree of damage. Through the response surface analysis method, the influencing factors and laws of the impact force and impact damage during the collision process between potatoes and rods under soil and no-soil conditions were studied. The results of the response surface analysis indicate that when the screen inclination is within the range of 14.12° to 14.77°, falling height ranges from 453.83 mm to 500 mm, screen rod spacing falls within 36.50 mm to 40 mm, and the screen rod material is rubber. Potatoes can still be at a relatively low damage level when enduring a large impact force. This study has significant implications for reducing potato impact damage during harvesting, enhancing economic benefits in the potato industry, and advancing the technical level of potato harvesting equipment. In the future, based on the results of this study, further exploration can be made to optimize the design of potato harvesting equipment so as to better reduce the damage to potatoes during harvesting and subsequent processing processes and promote the sustainable development of the potato industry.

Design and Experimentation of Small Potato Harvester for Heavy Soil in Hilly and Mountainous Areas

At present, the potato’s mechanized harvesting rate in hilly and mountainous areas is very low. The reasons for this are that in heavy soil, the separation of potato rhizomes from soil or vines is not sufficient, harvesting machinery is seriously damaged by the potato epidermis, and the harvested potato is easily buried in soil, resulting in a missed harvest. In this paper, a two-stage cleaning potato harvester with wave-type and roller-group-type separating mechanisms was designed, and its overall structure and working principle are introduced in detail. The new cleaning mechanism can increase the effective separating length and effective contact area of the potato–soil mixture so as to achieve the purpose of removing clay and heavy soil. The main separator uses a structure that combines offset waves with opposite waves and a staggered arrangement of large–small diameter straight bars. The secondary separator adopts a device combining left-hand and right-hand separating rollers. The discrete element model of the whole machine was established, and the results of the theoretical analysis were verified by simulation. The key factors affecting the harvest quality were analyzed by variance analysis and response surface analysis, and the field experiment was carried out with the rate of clean potatoes, damaged potatoes, and peeled potatoes harvested as the indexes. The field experiments showed that the machine achieved a rate of photos on or out of the earth of 98.87%, a damaged potato rate of 0.91%, and a peeled potato rate of 1.13%. The research results provide theoretical support and a technical reference for the design and optimization of potato harvesters, as well as the improvement of the potato–soil separating efficiency and harvest quality.

The Design and Experimentation of a Wheeled-Chassis Potato Combine Harvester with Integrated Bagging and Ton Bag-Lifting Systems

The mechanized harvesting level of potatoes in the arid areas of Northwest China is low and mainly relies on simple machinery to dig the soil surface, and then people manually pick up and bag the potatoes. This harvesting method has the problems of a high labor intensity, low operation efficiency, and high labor cost. Based on this, a wheeled-chassis potato combine harvester with integrated bagging and ton bag-lifting systems was developed, which could complete potato digging, potato–soil separation, potato–film separation, automatic bagging, and field ton bag lifting in one go. Firstly, based on the agronomic requirements and unique terrain characteristics of potato planting in this area, the structural design of the whole machine was completed with SOLIDORKS 2019 3D software. Secondly, the dynamic model was established for a numerical analysis, and the core parameters of key components were determined. The field experiments showed that the potato loss rate was 2.1%, the potato damage rate was 1.7%, the skin breaking rate was 2.5%, the impurity content was 1.9%, and the productivity was 0.15~0.23 hm2/h. The above field test indexes met the requirements of national and industrial standards.

Design and Test of Discrete Element-Based Separation Roller Potato–Soil Separation Device

To address the problems of low bright rates and high rates of potato injuries, a left and right-hand rotation combination of potato–soil separation devices was developed. Its overall structure and working principle were introduced. A Texture Analyzer and pressure sensor were used to measure the force threshold of different varieties of potatoes. A discrete element model of separation rollers and potatoes was established. The collision characteristics of potatoes were analyzed using the device inclination angle, rotational speed, and the center distance of the separation rollers as test factors. A field trial was carried out to optimize the best combination of factors by taking the rate of injured potatoes, bright potatoes, and skin-breaking rate as the test indexes. The force threshold for skin-breaking injury in potatoes was found to be 190–195 N. When the inclination angle of the device was 6°, the rotation speed of the separation roller was 100 r/min, and the distance between the centers of the separation rollers was 79 mm. The rate of injury was 1.25%, the rate of bright potatoes was 99.01%, and the rate of skin-breaking was 1.58%. When the inclination angle of the device was 8°, the rotational speed of the separating roller was 80 r/min, and the center distance of the separating roller was 79 mm, the rate of injured potato was 1.43%, the rate of bright potato was 98.64%, and the rate of broken skin was 1.77%. This paper offers an optimized reference for the effectual removal of sticky soil.

Analysis of Breaking and Separating Characteristics of Potato–Soil Aggregates Based on the New Type of Swing Separation Sieve

In response to the significant challenge posed by the trade-off between the efficiency of separating potato soil and minimizing potato peel damage in the 4SW-170 potato excavator, this study focused on enhancing the design of the swing separation sieve. The objective was to develop a novel separation sieve comprising three distinct orders of sieve surfaces. Building upon this foundation, the EDEM-Adams coupled simulation method was employed to explore the fragmentation and separation attributes of potato–soil aggregates. This investigation aimed to elucidate the behavior of potato–soil aggregates within the operational scope of the novel swing separation sieve. Subsequently, the optimized parameters were validated through field tests. The findings indicate a direct correlation between the fracture ratio of the cohesive bond and the crank speed, illustrating an increase in the former with higher crank speeds. Conversely, an inverse relationship exists between the fracture ratio and the sieve inclination angle, demonstrating a decrease in the ratio as the sieve inclination increases. At a machine speed of 1.9 km/h, the fracture ratio of the cohesive bond attains its peak value. The force exerted on potatoes at their maximum point escalates with rising crank speed but diminishes with increasing machine speed. Conversely, the effect of sieve inclination on the peak force applied to the potatoes is deemed inconsequential. The most effective parameter configuration for the separation sieve comprises a crank speed of 180 revolutions per minute (r/min), a machine speed of 1.9 km per hour (km/h), and a sieve inclination of 14.4°. Field trials have confirmed that the parameter combination yielded a potato detection rate of 98.01% and a mere 0.68% rate of potato skin breakage, meeting the stipulated technical specifications of the potato harvester.

Prevalence of Phytonematodes Found in Potato Soil and its Root System

Prevalence of Phytonematodes Found in Potato Soil and its Root System

Construction and analysis of a mechanical model for viscoelasticity and plasticity in potato

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to develop a precise collision model of potatoes falling onto a separation sieve to assess their damage characteristics. A viscoelastic‐plastic mechanics model is created by integrating the collision process with the potato soil separation device. Test factors include fall height, potato mass, fall direction, and varieties. Potato deformation and damage volume serve as evaluation indices in single‐factor tests to explore their relationships with these factors. The model analyzes the collision loading and unloading process, studying relationships between parameters and test factors, examining the potato collision damage mechanism. Predictive equations for potato damage volume based on fall height, potato mass, and plasticity ratio λp are derived: V1 = 1606λp–537, V2 = 4751λp–2087, and V3 = 12617λp–5303. This study provides a theoretical foundation for analyzing potato collision damage and offers technical references for optimizing potato harvesting machinery.Practical applicationsDamage resulting from the mechanical harvesting process significantly impacts the quality and economic worth of the tubers. Currently, research on constructing a mechanical model of potatoes, treating them as viscoelastic plastic bodies, and integrating the collision process with potato soil separation devices is limited. Thus, the objective of this paper is to investigate the correlation between various test factors and potato damage via drop tests, and to establish a viscoelastic–plastic mechanical model. Additionally, the study further explored the correlation between model parameters and tuber damage, resulting in the establishment of a mathematical model for predicting the extent of damage. This study provides a theoretical basis for an in‐depth analysis of the collision damage mechanism of potato, and a technical reference for the design and optimization of potato harvesting machinery.

RecurDyn-EDEM 耦合仿真优化：三段式薯土低损分离装置优化试验

Aiming at the potato soil separation device of potato harvester, which generally has the problem of potato high damage in potato-soil separation, a three-stage potato soil low-loss separation device was developed, and orthogonal experiments were designed with the help of RecurDyn-EDEM coupled simulation method. A field bench was built for verification tests. The test proved that: when the lift transport chain speed was 1.40 m/s, travel speed was 0.60 m/s, amplitude was 32.0 mm, the impurity rate was 1.49% and the average force on potato was 1.801 N. The potato damage rate was 2.7%, indicating that the design of the three-stage potato soil low-loss separator device worked well.

Disentangling Shifts in the Soil Microbiome of Potatoes Infected with Rhizoctonia solani Anastomosis Group 3-PT in Search of Potential Biocontrol Agents

Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG) 3-PT is a devastating pathogenic fungus that causes several diseases in potatoes both in South Africa and globally. The removal of various fungicides from the market and strict regulations on the use of synthetic chemicals make disease management difficult. Therefore, alternative, environmentally safe control measures are being considered, such as the use of biological control agents (BCAs). BCAs are an attractive alternative for improving plant and soil health of economically important crops. To identify key microbial indicators of disease suppression against R. solani AG 3-PT, a greenhouse pot trial experiment was conducted using soil from a potato-growing region in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. High-throughput sequencing of fungal internal transcribed spacer and bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA was used to characterize the respective fungal and bacterial community composition in the soil with and without artificial inoculation with R. solani AG 3-PT. Results indicated that the pathogen caused dysbiosis in the potato soil microbiome, leading to a shift in fungal and bacterial community composition. Differentially abundant microbial taxa in R. solani AG 3-PT inoculated soils suggest a promising potential for disease-suppressive activity. Network analysis also confirmed the presence of key taxa involved in the microbial community shifts, which could support their role in the suppression of R. solani AG 3-PT. The identification of key microbial indicators against Rhizoctonia diseases can contribute to the development of environmentally sustainable potato production systems, which are particularly important considering the implementation of the European Green Deal.

Potato Soil Core Microbiomes Are Regionally Variable Across the Continental United States

Soil microbiomes play crucial roles in pathogen suppression, nutrient mobilization, and maintenance of plant health. Their complexity and variability across spatial and temporal scales provide challenges for identifying common targets—microbial taxa or assemblages—for management in agricultural systems. To understand how microbiomes in potato production soils vary across growing regions and identify commonly distributed taxa among them, we compiled a continental-scale bacterial and eukaryotic amplicon dataset of over 1,300 communities with corresponding edaphic measurements from nine U.S. field sites. Field site explained most of the variance across bacterial and eukaryotic (predominantly fungal) communities, while pH and organic matter as well as nitrate, phosphate, and potassium concentrations also varied with community structure. Bacterial and eukaryotic potato soil microbiomes showed consistent phylum-level composition across locations at the continental scale, with regional-scale differences evident among genera and amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Core community analysis identified 606 bacterial and 74 eukaryotic ASVs, which were present, but unequally distributed, across all nine field sites. Many of these core ASVs belonged to common soil genera, such as Bacillus and Mortierella, which may reveal the functional potential involved in maintaining soil health across regionally variable soil systems.

Distribution of 226Ra and 210Po Radionuclides in Different Phases of Soil and Estimation of Their Annual Change Rates for Some Agricultural Soils

Human activities, such as plant cultivation, enhance the activity concentrations (ACs) of radionuclides in the topsoil and have the potential to affect humans and the environment. The soil with a high radiation background not only acts as a source of continuous radiation exposure to humans but also as a medium of migration for the transfer of radionuclides to food crops. Some spectrometers can measure the AC of radionuclides in the soil, but long‐term variation of AC is difficult to investigate. Therefore, developing methods for predicting the AC of radionuclides in agricultural soil is an interesting topic that many studies have focused on. In this work, a simple method was introduced to estimate long‐term changes of some radioisotopes in the top layer of soil (0–20 cm). The estimation considered four major processes: fertilization, irrigation, vertical leaching, and plant uptake. The leaching rates () of radionuclides were predicted by their ACs in the soil water and the infiltration rate of water in the soil. The method was applied to the soils of five study fields in southern Vietnam, and the values of 226Ra were between 7.4 Bq·m−2·y−1 and 60 Bq·m−2·y−1, while the rates of 210Po were between 22.1 and 111 Bq·m−2·y−1. For long‐term assessment, it was found that 226Ra increases in sweat potato soil and tomato soil with annual rates (ΔC) of 0.99 Bq·kg−1·y−1 and 0.69 Bq·kg−1·y−1, respectively. The AC of 210Po was predicted to increase in some soils. The corresponding ΔC values for 210Po were 0.028 Bq·kg−1·y−1 in rice, 0.617 Bq·kg−1·y−1 sweet potato, and 0.099 Bq·kg−1·y−1 in tomato soils. The results imply that interventions are necessary to reduce the radioactivity accumulation in fields with high ΔC values. The effective methods can be changing the fertilizer types and the irrigation systems.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) soil covering with organic matter: Results and knowledge gap

AbstractPotato mulching practices and their effects often differ, and the results are sometimes contradictory in the literature, as they vary depending on climatic conditions and growing practices. In this study, we analysed 68 peer-reviewed publications to reveal which problems of potato cultivation were intended to be solved by mulching with organic materials. We have found that the main goals of mulching are the preservation of soil moisture, the reduction of soil temperature, and the suppression of weeds, in which mulching provides effective help. In different parts of the world, different organic mulches increased the yield of potatoes in 78% of the studies. Although the occurrence and damage of pests, pathogens and weeds are extremely understudied (16, 18, 29% of the studies), we can conclude that organic mulches effectively reduced their damage.

Accurate monitoring of micronutrients in tilled potato soils of eastern Canada: Application of an eXplainable inspired-adaptive boosting framework coupled with SelectKbest

Plant growth is significantly dependent upon the combination and concentration of mineral nutrients in the soil, where the adequate supply of these nutrients is a severe issue in fulfilling the fundamental cellular process requirements. This study collected 22 physicochemical properties of tilled potato soils from eight stations in two Atlantic Canadian provinces (Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick). Along with the experimental investigation, an explainable dual pre-processing inspired-intelligent paradigm comprised of the SelectKbest feature selection (FS), modified bat algorithm (MBA), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) explainer was designed to monitor the micronutrients, including copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). The significant data predictors were filtered using the SelectKbest FS to monitor Cu and Zn. The MBA was coupled with AdaBoost for tuning the hyperparameters to ensure accurate predictions. To validate the outcomes of the MBA-AdaBoost, four advanced machine learning approaches, including categorical boosting (CatBoost) coupled with MBA (MBA-CatBoost), classical AadaBoost, ridge kernel regression (KRR), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), were examined to compare the accuracies. The robustness of the developed framework and the performance of comparative models were examined through several statistical metrics. Results revealed that the MBA-CatBoost performed the best in predicting the Cu (R = 0.9425, U1 = 0.1020, and U22 = 0.2036) and Zn in the soil (R = 0.9454, U1 = 0.0942, and U2 = 0.1858) when compared with other models. Furthermore, the SHAP explainer interpreted the block-box main model during the training phase by introducing the CEC and Fe as significant predictors to monitor the soil Cu and Zn, respectively. These findings demonstrate a clear and robust relationship between the presented modeling approach and the accurate prediction of soil micronutrient concentrations. Accurate predictions of micronutrients using these advanced techniques can be used to tailor site-specific micromovement management in agriculture fields to reduce production costs, increase farm profitability, and lower environmental contamination.

Legume-potato rotation affects soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, and rhizosphere metabolism in continuous potato cropping

BackgroundContinuous cropping can reduce soil quality and affect rhizosphere metabolism, ultimately reducing crop yield. Crop rotation can mitigate the damage caused by continuous cropping, but different crop rotation patterns respond differently to soil quality and rhizosphere metabolism. We investigated the effects of different cropping patterns on soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial quantity, and rhizosphere metabolism of continuous potato cropping based on a long-term field study from 2018 to 2022. The experiment was set up with the following three treatments: potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)-potato-potato-potato-potato (CK), potato-potato-potato-pea (Pisum arvense L.)-potato (T1), and potato-potato-potato-faba bean (Vicia faba L.)-potato (T2).ResultsThe results showed that pea-potato rotation (T1) and faba bean-potato rotation (T2) significantly improved soil physicochemical properties and microbial quantity, enhanced enzyme activity, and increased yield by 21.19% and 28.38%, respectively, compared with the continuous potato crop. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis showed that the differential metabolites of pea-potato and faba bean-potato rotation were mainly nucleotides, organic acids and derivatives, and flavonoids compared to continuous potato cropping. These differential metabolites are mainly enriched in the ABC transporter, purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism pathways. Combined analyses showed that legume-potato rotations improved soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial quantity of continuous potato cropping, ultimately increasing tuber yields. In addition, correlation analyses showed that differential metabolites significantly enriched in purine and phenylalanine metabolism (l-Tyrosine, Trans-Cinnamic acid, Guanine, and Adenine) were also strongly associated with these measurements.ConclusionsTherefore, we conclude that legume-potato rotations modulate the abundance and function of rhizosphere metabolites and significantly alter the low molecular metabolite profile of the soil under continuous potato conditions. Some of these important metabolites may play a part in the cycling of nutrients in the soil, making its physicochemical properties and microbial quantity better, raising the activity of soil enzymes, and ultimately increasing the yield of potato tubers. The above results indicate that legume-potato rotation has a positive effect on continuous potato soils. It lays a solid foundation for revealing the complex molecular network and metabolic pathways of microbial communities in soil after legume crop rotation.Graphical

Using Soil Testing Data to Monitor Changes in Maine Agricultural Soil Organic Carbon from 1995 to 2021

ABSTRACT Estimates of soil organic matter (SOM) are commonly part of soil testing, and typically use the loss-on-ignition (LOI) method. To explore the utility of existing soil testing databases as a resource for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations over time, we determined the relationship between SOM estimated by LOI and SOC measured using IR detection of CO2 for Maine soils. We then examined trends in SOC concentrations in Maine agricultural soils over the past 27 years using data from 97,713 standard soil samples received by the Maine Soil Testing Service. For 91 agricultural soil samples representative of Maine cropping systems, we found that the standard LOI temperature used by the Maine Soil Testing Service, 375°C, produced LOI values that correlated more strongly with SOC measured by IR detection of CO2 than the three higher temperatures we studied, although all temperatures produced data that was well correlated (R2 values from 0.95 to 0.98). Soil texture did not influence the correlation. Our analysis of soil testing data from 1995 to 2021 suggested increases in SOC concentrations in soils planted to grain and hay, and possibly corn, broadly corresponding with changing agricultural practices occurring over this time frame. Of our four focal crop categories, only potato soils decreased in SOC concentration from 1995 to 2021, underscoring the unique challenges associated with potato soil management relative to other cropping systems in Maine. Our study confirms the potential utility of soil testing databases in assessing changes in SOC concentrations in agricultural soils over decades.

Morphological and molecular characterization, including parasitic and pathogenic studies of a new spherical cyst nematode species, Globodera vulgaris n. sp. (Nematoda: Heteroderidae), associated with potatoes in China.

In this study, a new spherical cyst nematode belonging to the genus Globodera, herein described as Globodera vulgaris n. sp., was extracted from the roots and rhizosphere soil of potato and circumjacent weeds belonging to different families in three provinces in southwest China. The new species was characterized by 8-24 ridges between the anus and fenestra and an average Granek's ratio of 2.8-3.8 in cysts, a head with 3-4 annules and dorsal knob anteriorly projected and ventral knobs round or anteriorly projected in second stage juveniles, and a head with 3-5 annules, spicule short and average length less than 30.0 μm, with a developed velum in males. Pathogenicity tests showed that G. vulgaris n. sp. infected potato but did not damage or affect the potato yield compared to control, and it parasitized tomato with a low reproduction rate (RF < 1) while did not parasitize tobacco (RF = 0). The new species was close to G. rostochiensis based on molecular diagnostic marker sequences and constructed phylogenetic analysis, that is internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA (ITS), large-subunit rDNA (LSU) and small-subunit rDNA (SSU). However, the new species exhibited differences from G. rostochiensis in terms of morphological characteristics, a wide host preference, lack of damage to hosts, and egg hatching rate induced by hatching factors.

Discrete Element-Based Simulation Analysis and Research of Potato Soil Agglomerate Fragmentation and Separation

To study the influence law of the overburden rotating plate mechanism on the fragmentation and separation of potato soil agglomerates, a single-factor test and a response surface test simulation analysis of the soil fragmentation process were conducted in EDEM 2022 software. The results of the single-factor test show that the triangular rack blade of the overburdened rotating plate mechanism has the best effect on soil fragmentation and separation. With the increase in the lower blade speed, the upper lift chain bar line speed, and the tilt angle of the mechanism, the effect on the fragmentation and separation of potato soil agglomerates decreases. The response surface test results show that the debris removal rate decreases with the increase in blade speed and tilt angle, the percentage of bond breakage between potato soil particles declines with the rise of blade speed and lift chain bar line speed, and the percentage of bond breakage between soil particles increases with the increase in blade speed and lift chain bar line speed. The optimal solution was obtained by using the optimization function in Design-Expert 13 software, which was adjusted as follows: the blade rack type was triangular, the lift chain bar line speed was 0.307 m/s, the blade speed was 0.4 m/s, and the tilt angle was 40°. The research methods and results provide a reference for the simulation of potato soil crushing and separation motion in a sandy loam soil cultivation area.

Assessment of Physico-chemical Properties of Soil, Growth and Yield of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) as Influenced by Integrated Nutrient Management at Prayagraj District

Assessment of Physico-chemical Properties of Soil, Growth and Yield of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) as Influenced by Integrated Nutrient Management at Prayagraj District

Construction and analysis of the forced vibration model of separating screen under a dropped potato

AbstractTo determine the damage characteristics of potato falling on the separating screen and their relationship with the vibration characteristics, it is expected to provide a reference for the structural optimization of potato harvesting related machinery. The vibration characteristics of the separating screen were theoretically analyzed and a forced vibration model of separating screen was developed. The effects of vibration model parameters on the damage volume of potatoes were studied by single‐factor experiments with fall height, potato mass, fall direction, and potato varieties as experimental factors. Especially, the changes of decay coefficient α and the potato damage volume with test factors were obtained: the attenuation coefficient α increased with increasing falling height and potato mass and showed a significant correlation with potato damage volume. The decay coefficient α becomes largest when the potato falls along the length direction and smallest when it falls along the thickness direction. The α decreased with increasing hardness of potato varieties and showed a significant negative correlation with potato damage volume. Fitting equations between the attenuation coefficient α and the damage volume for each effects were established to predict the potato damage under different height, mass, and variety, as follows: V1 = 498035α − 2516, V2 = 209646α − 286, and V3 = −84397α + 1149.Practical ApplicationsDuring the mechanized harvest process, severe potato damage occurred on the swing separation screen. This will seriously affect the quality and economic value of potatoes. At present, there are few studies on the vibration damage theory and experiment during potato harvest. Therefore, in order to clarify the vibration characteristics of the separation screen and its relationship with the potato damage characteristics, we studied the influence of the vibration characteristics on the potato damage through the drop test, and established the vibration model of the separation screen. The relationship between the model parameters and the potato damage volume was further explored, and a mathematical model was developed to predict the volume of potato damage. This study provides a reference for the study of the coupled vibration of the potato soil mixture and the optimization of the potato soil separation device.