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Potato tuber protein could be a valuable alternative in human and animal nutrition due to its adequate nutritional value and competitive protein yield per hectare. In this study, crude protein content (CPC) and dry matter content (DMC) of potato tuber samples ( n = 117) prepared in different ways (fresh and dried samples) were analysed to develop practicable near-infrared reflection spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations for CPC and DMC as well as for two different NIRS devices. The investigated potato samples showed a DMC between 14.1 and 35.2% and a CPC in the dry matter (DM) to vary between 4.93 and 12.31%, while CPC per fresh matter (FM) was between 1.43 and 2.87%. For dried potato flour, a NIRS calibration for CPC with a coefficient of determination of cross validation ( R CV) of 0.936 was developed and considered to be accurate for the prediction of this trait in potato tubers. Additionally, a NIRS calibration for DMC of fresh potatoes was developed with an R CV value of 0.939. The newly developed NIRS calibration for CPC on fresh potato samples is useful for the selection of potato cultivars with comparatively high or low tuber protein content and demonstrates that a fast, simple, and cost-saving sample preparation leads to comparably adequate NIRS calibrations as those described in the literature using more extensive sample preparation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]