Aardappelteelt from Beijing

China grows 25% of the world’s potatoes, but 60% of its crop is in arid northwest regions where shallow roots and short growing seasons make them drought-sensitive. Researchers test drought-tolerant varieties and biochemicals to ease soil stress.

With approximately 19% of the global population and just 9% of the world’s arable land, China has long sought to improve food production and, in recent decades, potatoes have played an increasingly important role in that quest.

In a recent report USDA-FAS forecasts a fresh potato production in China of 94 million tons for marketing year 2021/22. This is a 5% decrease from the estimated 99 million tons in the previous year, a result of decreased acreage.

Según un estudio de la Universidad de Ningxia en Yinchuan, dichas técnicas mantienen la humedad del suelo y mejoran la tasa de emergencia de las plántulas.

Rong Li and colleagues at Ningxia University in Yinchuan, China set out to discover if different tilling and mulching practices could improve soil moisture - and potato yields - in the Loess Plateau.

In a meeting on January 6th, the Ministry of Agriculture of China announced plans to double the total area of land devoted to potato cultivation from just over 5 million hectares to 10 million hectares.

For over 30 years, the International Potato Center (CIP) has played a significant role in developing Sino-Peruvian relations through the introduction and promotion of various varieties of drought and disease resistant potato and sweet potato to China.