Potato potential yield based on climatic elements and cultivar characteristics

Abstract

There is currently a great deal of interest in estimating crop productivity as a function of climatic elements by means of different crop weather models. An agrometeorological model is presented based on carbon dioxide assimilation maximum rates for C3 plants, fraction of photosynthetically active radiation, air temperature, photoperiod duration, and crop parameters under tropical climate conditions. Such crop parameters include leaf area and harvest indexes, dry matter content of potato tubers, and crop cycles to estimate potato potential yields. Field data from observed productivity obtained with the cultivar Itararé (IAC-5986), grown under adequate soil water supply conditions at four different regions in the State of São Paulo (Itararé, Piracicaba, Tatuí, and São Manuel), Brazil, were used to test the model. The results revealed an excellent performance of the agrometeorological model in study, with an underestimation of irrigated potato productivity less than 10%.