Reduced-tillage potato cultivation as a sustainable organic farming practice

On-farm demonstration trials using organic reduced tillage and rice straw mulching for potato crops at the ISARC experimental field in Varanasi. (Photo: ISARC)

In India, potato is the most important food crop after rice, wheat, and maize. Reduced-tillage potato cultivation is a sustainable and effective technique for organic farming that offers numerous benefits to farmers and the environment, particularly soil health and chemical-free farming.

In India, potato is the most important food crop after rice, wheat, and maize. Farmers have been cultivating potato crops for more than three centuries across the entire country.  Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam are the major potato-growing states in India.

Changing climate patterns and other environmental concerns have initiated the need for sustainable solutions such as organic farming. Organic farming not only involves the use of natural resources in an efficient manner but also results in better crop yield and soil health.

Reduced-tillage potato cultivation is a sustainable and effective technique for organic farming that offers numerous benefits to farmers and the environment, particularly soil health and chemical-free farming.