Screening Potato Varieties for Tuber Production in Arid Regions: Effect of Planting Date on Yield Potential

The effect of tuber planting date on yield of potato cultivars was examined during three seasons. Planting date had a significant effect on yield, although cultivars showed significant variation in yield potential at the different dates. Varietal yield was significantly correlated with planting date and thus was probably a response to changing temperatures during the growing season. The yield increase in some cultivars was attributable to greater tuber number; in others it was because of greater tuber weight. Cultivars Vivaldi, Carlita, Bydand, Donald and Sterling were identified as having the potential for general cultivation in the arid climate of the Arabian Gulf. The results are discussed in terms of a national strategy for potato production, possibly involving a delay in planting date from mid November to mid December, allowing greater land use efficiency during the short cropping season.