Yield and Growth Response of Selected Potato Cultivars to Different Mulch and Fungicide Applications, and Various Localities Under Rainfed Conditions

Abstract

There is a stark yield gap between sub-Saharan African (SSA) potato productivity compared to other regions, leading to food security challenges. Hence, there is an immediate need to improve SSA potato yield. Research trials were under smallholder settings to determine effective management practices on the integration of selected potato cultivars, fungicides, mulch application, and different localities. Tested factors mulch application (mulch, not mulch), fungicide (sprayed and unsprayed) and different potato cultivars (Electra, Mondial, Panamera, and Sababa) were laid in a randomized complete block design in under five localities (Gobizembe, Hlathikhulu, Mbalenhle, Mbhava, and Stezi), and replicated three times over two consecutive seasons. Data collection included climatic data, emergence, days to flowering, plant height, physiological maturity, stem number yield, and yield components. Integration of Electra, fungicide (sprayed or unsprayed), and mulch application (mulch or not mulch) under humid, low atmospheric water demand, dominated by sandy soils and high-altitude locality had higher yields with the highest of 64.2 t ha−1 and a harvest index of 90.2%. In the locality that is on a south-facing slope, with the lowest altitude, clayed soils had the lowest yield of 13.4 t ha−1 from Mondial cultivar under unsprayed and no mulch. Electra cultivar showed consistent performance under different practices and yielded more across localities. Hence, it is recommended that effective management practices such as Electra together with fungicide (spraying or unsprayed) and mulch (mulch or not mulch) can be adopted to increase potato yield under rainfed conditions.