Relationship between weather factors and planting dates with references to growth and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum) varieties

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2016–17 and 2017–18 at the research farm of the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, College of Agriculture, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana to quantify the effect of different planting dates on the growth and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. The experiment comprised 12 treatment combinations involving 4 date of sowing, viz. D1 , 8 October; D2 , 22 October; D3 , 5 November and D4 , 15 November as main plot treatment and viz. 3 varieties V1 , ‘Kufri Bahar’, V2 , ‘Kufri Pushkar’ and V3 , ‘Kufri Surya’, as sub-plot treatment in a split-plot design, replicated 4 times. The maximum tuber yield was recorded in D2 (21.9 tonnes/ha) as compared to the other sowing dates and the lowest in D4 (16.5 tonnes/ha). Among the varieties, ‘Kufri Pushkar’ had a significantly higher tuber yield (23.2 tonnes/ha) than ‘Kufri Bahar’ (18.0 tonnes/ha) and ‘Kufri Surya’ (16.6 tonnes/ha) during the crop season. Plant height, dry matter accumulation and biological yield were positively correlated with wind speed, rainfall and rainy days. The number of leaves/plant and leaf-area index (LAI) was significantly, negatively correlated with maximum and minimum temperatures, whereas it showed significant positive correlations with wind speed. Evening relative humidity was also positively correlated with LAI and tuber yield of potatoes. However, improved cultivars along with ideal planting windows at micro-level identification were the best way to mitigate the challenges posed by the climate in potatoes in near future.