Integrated Approaches to Increase Potatoes' Productivity, Quality and Disease Resistance Under Variable Climate Conditions: A Review

Abstract

Abstract The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is among the most important foods produced around the world and an essential source of carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, and incomes for millions of farmers. Nonetheless, potato yields, tubers’ quality, and disease resistance are increasingly at risk due to climate variability, such as increased temperatures, erratic precipitation, droughts, floods, and pests/pathogens development. To counteract these problems, it is necessary to implement climate-resilient technologies for integrated potato production that will secure its cultivation and ensure food security across the globe. This review highlights recent achievements in integrated technology used to increase potato productivity, tubers’ quality, and resistance to diseases due to climate changes. The review focuses on climate-resilient and improved potato varieties, nutrient management, irrigation, conservation agriculture, crop rotations, integrated pest and disease management (IPDM), biological agents of protection, and the use of digital agriculture technologies such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture. There is special attention to the role of genomics, marker-assisted selection, genome editing, and micro biome technology in development of resilient potato varieties with improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress factors. Besides, there is also attention to post-harvest handling, seed quality improvement and soil health practices as essential components in sustaining the quality of tubers and minimizing production losses. It is noted that integration of agronomy, horticulture, plant breeding, plant pathology, soil sciences, and climate-smart agriculture practices is more beneficial than implementation of technologies separately. Such integration helps not only increase resource-use efficiency, yield stability, nutritional quality and sustainability, but also makes potato production systems more resilient to climatic changes. Future research should be aimed at multidisciplinary approach, decision-support systems and innovations for farmers. The review offers a number of important insights for researchers, extension agents, policymakers, and potato growers interested in sustainable use of climate-resilient technologies in potato production.