**Acknowledgements**

The balance paradigm was elaborated within the plant nutrition and soil carbon modules of the research project entitled 'Implementing means to increase potato ecosystem services' (CRDPJ 385199 – 09). We acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Sciences and En‐ gineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Es‐ tado de São Paulo (FAPESP), the Coordinação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES), as well as farm partners as follows: Cultures Dolbec Inc., St-Ubalde, Qué‐ bec, Canada; Groupe Gosselin FG Inc., Pont Rouge, Québec, Canada; Agriparmentier Inc. and Prochamps Inc., Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil, Québec, Canada; Ferme Daniel Bolduc et Fils Inc., Péribonka, Québec, Canada.
