CLIMATE AND POTATO CROP GROWTH INTERACTIONS IN AFRICA’S CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION

The main determinants of the climate in Africa’s equatorial highlands are rainfall, temperature and solar radiation.
They follow relatively fixed patterns with varying altitudes and in the course of time.

With increasing altitude, temperatures decline, rainfall increases and solar radiation decreases due to cloudiness.
The area knows two rainy seasons per year, with reduced solar radiation, while temperatures remain fairly constant throughout out the year.

A description of the climate is given as well as its effect on some aspects of the growth, quality and health of the potato crops.
The limited usefulness of better weather forecasts and general meteorological advisory information, due to the lack of sufficiently solid research data and farmers’ scarce resources is discussed.

Agrometeorology of the Potato Crop

A.J. Haverkort

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1988.214.9