Abstract The intercropping of potato with other crop species in the tropics is a prevalent practice of increasing importance, but largely based upon non-documented farmer experience. Improvement of indigenous systems and the creation of systems appropriate to future potato-production zones in hot areas require a clear understanding of their physical and biological interactions. This knowledge may be obtained from research on temporal and spatial demands by intercrops. In this paper, the benefits of intercropping potato with annual or perennial crops with respect to total resource use, particularly of solar energy, are presented. Four systems which minimize the influence of interspecific competition, yet maximize the utilization of wasted resources by one or other component crops, and which are suitable for the potato, are presented as follows: (I) Relay-cropping potato into an existing annual shade crop; (II) Intercropping with perennials; (III) Intercropping with annuals; and (IV) Relay-cropping an annual shade crop into an existing potato crop. Crop cultural practices such as relative planting dates, component-crop densities, and spatial distributions at planting are discussed in relation to climate, soil cooling, efficiency of interception of irradiance, and ease of management, with particular emphasis on maize/potato associations. The specific cooling effect of shaded soil on crop emergence under conditions of high soil temperature in system I, and on the detrimental effect of high temperature late in the potato cycle in system IV, are highlighted. In addition, utilization of available solar energy is enhanced. Intercropping with perennials (system II) and annuals (system III) represent systems with possibilities for manipulation of crop cultural practices in the dominant crop. These range from limited (e.g. in plantation tree crops) to almost limitless possibilities (e.g. in pruned alley crops) with a concomitant range of management decisions. The potato crop in the tropics may withstand reductions in the receipt of irradiance of up to 25% for extended periods with negligible yield decline. Selection of clones adapted to this level of reduction may be made under sole-crop conditions. With further reduction in irradiance, differences in genotypic ability to tolerate shade are expressed. Therefore it is suggested that, to increase total productivity beyond that attribute to temporal complementarity and efficient use of photosynthetically active radiation, then incorporation of shade tolerance will be necessary.