Potato and Tuber Crops

Climate

• Moderately warm climate is ideal (21 to 26.7oC) Temperature less than 20oC effects tuber formation. For tuber formation 25 to 300C is ideal.
• Even slight frost kills the foliage.
• It requires plenty of sun shine and moderate rain fall.
• A well distributed annual rainfall between 75 and 150 cm is favourable.
• High rain fall and long photo period (16 hr) promote vine growth and reduces tuber yield.
• Tuber yield, number of tubers and total biological yield were promoted by 9 hr light.
• It can be grown from 400N to 320S and on equator up to an altitude of 2200 meters.
• Sweet potato is a drought tolerant crop and gives good yield without irrigation in semi-arid regions.
• However, yield is more when rain is received during early part of growing season.