Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Evapotranspiration Monitoring
Potato evapotranspiration monitoring tracks crop water use across the season and is meaningful only in the context of available water. Growers and procurement teams can compare actual or modeled ET with crop stage, soil moisture, rainfall, and irrigation capacity to identify persistent water-balance risk in important sourcing basins.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato evapotranspiration-monitoring data tracks crop water use through evaporation and plant transpiration across the growing season. The market object is actual or modeled ET for potato acreage, interpreted against reference ET, crop stage, soil moisture, rainfall, and irrigation supply.
Use the data to assess whether crop water demand is being met, compare basins, and identify persistent deficits during sensitive stages such as tuber initiation and bulking. Pair ET with irrigation capacity because high water use can signal healthy growth or rising stress risk depending on available supply.
Data Module
Potato Evapotranspiration Monitoring
Market objectcrop water-use signal
Primary measureactual versus reference ET
Key dimensionsregion, crop stage, weather
Driverscanopy, heat, rainfall, irrigation
Commercial usewater-risk monitoring
Compare withsoil moisture and supply availability
Analysis
Why this matters
ET signals are inherently two-sided. High ET can indicate vigorous canopy activity, but under constrained water supply it can also mean the crop is drawing down moisture faster than growers can replace it.
Commercial interpretation therefore requires the water balance, not ET alone. Persistent deficits in a major contracted basin are more relevant than a short-lived anomaly with ample irrigation capacity.
Signal 01
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index
UCUI translates crop and market complexity into a simple uncertainty signal. Higher readings indicate greater uncertainty—not necessarily higher prices.
Understand uncertainty. Anticipate risk. Act earlier.
UCUI is designed to analyze potato-industry publications and data signals across regions, varieties, weather, disease, storage, supply, and demand.
WeatherHigh
DiseaseHigh
StorageMedium
SupplyMedium
Single-day snapshot based on a scan of 11,500+ web and social signals. Get historical and real-time data by clicking the button below.
The MassGain Daily
Today’s market analysis.
A daily editorial synthesis of physical potato data, crop signals, market reporting, and what participants should watch next.
September 16, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Potato market steady for now; Russia’s smaller crop is the salient risk
Spot prices are flat and USDA terminal reports read ‘market steady,’ but a renewed forecast for a smaller Russian harvest and recent regional harvest stress leave seasonal import timing and storage losses as the key uncertainty.
Signal 02
MassGain Potato Index
Independent physical-pricing intelligence and market-trend analysis for procurement, forecasting, contracting, and scenario planning.
Core Russet Carton Median
312.45 USD/MT
Latest qualifying physical-market observation
+4.75 (+1.55%)
Price discovery for the physical potato market
MPI is designed to track physical pricing data, price trends, deltas, and divergences across regions and potato types.
Series window45 days
Current public coverageCore russet cartons
Primary source basisQualifying USDA physical rows
UnitUSD per metric tonne
Single-day snapshot based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varieties by clicking the button below.
Signal 03
MassGain Spot Reference
An independent spot reference designed for price discovery, contract discussions, procurement comparisons, and risk modeling.
Russet Burbank — U.S. Midsize
305 USD/MT
Demonstration reference format
+1.6% WoW · Confidence: High
A trusted benchmark for pricing, contracts, and risk
MSR is intended to use real transactions and verifiable physical-market data to support negotiations, price checks, contracting, and risk models.
ProductRusset Burbank
SpecificationU.S. midsize, 40–70 count
Reference typePhysical spot benchmark
StatusIn development
Based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varities by clicking the button below. Full access also includes historical data -- including depreciated NYMEX/CBOE/EEX spot references -- projections, trends, and AI-driven insights.
The MassGain Product Ladder
From insight to intelligence to action
Four integrated products built for the physical potato market, delivered through public pages, reports, exports, dashboards, and API access.
1
Content
Original research, commentary, aggregated news, and market updates.
- What matters right now?
- What is happening out there?
2
UCUI™
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index: an AI-powered signal of crop risk and market uncertainty.
- Understand uncertainty
- Anticipate risk
- Act earlier
3
MPI™
MassGain Potato Index: independent physical-pricing intelligence and trend analysis.
- Price discovery
- Regional trends
- Procurement planning
4
MSR™
MassGain Spot Reference: an independent benchmark for price discovery and risk modeling.
- Contracts
- Negotiations
- Risk models
Content + UCUI + MPI + MSR + API access
Get historical series, regional detail, constituent data, exports, alerts, and direct data access.
Overview
Who is this for?
This page is for crop analysts, processors, growers, and procurement teams that use evapotranspiration monitoring to understand potato water use and crop stress. Evapotranspiration reflects water transferred through evaporation and plant transpiration and can help users estimate crop demand, irrigation need, and the effect of weather across the growing season. MassGain connects ET observations with crop stage, planted area, soil moisture, rainfall, irrigation supply, temperature, historical yield, and regional market exposure.
The same ET value can have different meanings. High use may reflect a healthy, actively growing canopy with adequate water, or it may signal elevated demand during heat and limited supply. Low ET can result from early crop stage, cloud conditions, senescence, water stress, or poor canopy development. MassGain helps users compare actual ET with reference ET, field conditions, and expected crop coefficients and identify whether the region is maintaining the water balance required for yield and quality.
For procurement and market-intelligence teams, ET becomes useful when tied to sourcing concentration and crop timing. Persistent deficits in a major contracted basin can justify field verification and downside scenarios, while short-lived anomalies may require no commercial action. MassGain does not manage irrigation; it translates water-use evidence into clearer crop and supply-risk interpretation.
Use Case
During tuber bulking, actual ET remains high while reservoir allocations fall in one major processing region. MassGain compares rainfall, soil moisture, irrigation capacity, and crop stage and identifies a growing water-balance risk. The processor requests field updates and secures optional supply in a less exposed basin.
FAQs
What is potato evapotranspiration?
It is the combined water loss from soil evaporation and plant transpiration.
Why compare actual and reference ET?
The relationship helps indicate crop water demand, canopy activity, and possible stress.
How does MassGain use ET data?
It connects water use with crop stage, irrigation, weather, yield scenarios, and regional sourcing exposure.
Put this market intelligence to work
Get historical data, regional detail, benchmarks, alerts, exports, and API access tailored to your procurement
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Data and Methodology
Professional market-data standards
MassGain is building transparent public market infrastructure. Each live metric will identify its date, unit, coverage, methodology, and source basis.
Data provenance
MassGain uses public, licensed, contributed, and independently derived physical-market information. Source availability and publication schedules vary.
Timing and revisions
Figures may reflect the latest available observation rather than a same-day transaction. Source data and MassGain calculations may be corrected, restated, or revised.
Not transactional pricing
MassGain figures are informational reference values and do not constitute executable bids, offers, settlements, or guarantees that a transaction can occur at the displayed value.
No individualized advice
Content and data are provided for informational and analytical purposes and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, trading, or individualized procurement advice.
Independent publication
Certain observations may be derived from USDA reports. MassGain is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USDA.
Commercial use and licensing
Public display does not grant rights to reproduce, redistribute, republish, or incorporate MassGain indices or references into commercial products or contracts without authorization.