Potatoes are a valuable product and are of great national economic importance. In terms of the amount of nutrients per unit area, potatoes occupy one of the first places among plants cultivated by humans. In the North Caucasus, the production of marketable potatoes is almost entirely concentrated on the farms of the foothill and mountainous regions, which have favorable natural conditions (sufficient rainfall and moderate temperatures). The solution of almost all problems of the functioning of the agroindustrial complex is focused on ensuring food security. In solving food security in the country and in individual regions, a large role belongs to the development of such an important branch of agro-industrial production as potato growing. The development of this most important industry in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is possible only on the basis of innovative modernization of potato growing. In the North Caucasus, the production of marketable potatoes is almost entirely concentrated on the farms of the foothill and mountainous regions, which have favorable natural conditions (sufficient rainfall and moderate temperatures). The area of potato planting in the region reached 35-40 thousand hectares, and at present in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania there are about 1.5-2.0 thousand hectares under this crop. The aim of the research is to study the characteristics of growth, plant development, heat-drought resistance of various varieties of potatoes in the forest-steppe zone of North OssetiaAlania. As a result of three-year research (2018- 2020), it was found that under the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of North Ossetia - Alania, such early-maturing varieties as - Udacha, VR808, Gulliver, Riviera form up to 29.8 to 33.4 t / ha of early harvest potato tubers and are the most adapted varieties to local soil and climatic conditions.