Edaphic homologous zones and digital tools as a basis for sustainable soil management in potato growing areas in Colombia

Spatial heterogeneity in soil physicochemical properties is central to sustainable land management and productivity, yet remains poorly quantified across many potato landscapes. This study quantified and mapped the spatial variability of key soil attributes across Colombia's main potato-growing departments (Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Cauca, Boyacá, Santander, Nariño, among others), and delineated edaphic homogeneous zones to guide site-specific management. We compiled and quality-controlled 3,137 georeferenced soil samples and performed exploratory multivariate analysis. Unsupervised K-means clustering was then applied to generate edaphic zones, which were characterized by pH, organic matter, texture proxies, macro- and micronutrients (with emphasis on phosphorus and iron). A multi-focus modeling approach integrating soil variables and a genetic algorithm was applied to optimize potato recommendations within an open-access platform.Three clusters emerged with clear contrasts in nutrient status and dispersion, both within and among clusters. Using crop nutritional requirements as benchmarks, 59% of the mapped area was classified as highly suitable for potato cultivation. Linking soil information with climatic covariates and available yield records revealed multiple associations between productivity and edaphic climatic conditions, underscoring the importance of genotype by environment management interactions. The outputs support an evidence-based fertilization recommendation system and a suitability (aptitude) model, both integrated into a digital decision-support platform for Colombia's potato sector. The proposed framework provides a reproducible pathway from raw soil data to actionable zoning and management guidance capable of scaling to new regions, incorporating additional variables (e.g., spectral signatures), and updating recommendations as new data accrue. The aligning agronomic decisions with spatial soil variability, the approach enables more efficient input use, reduced environmental burdens, and improved resilience of potato production systems. Findings generalize to Andean tuber systems with comparable edaphoclimatic mosaics regionally.