Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 329-344 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 335 management a major factor determining yield and quality. Field experiments in sandy areas of northern China showed that irrigation frequency, irrigation amount, and fertilizer level significantly influenced potato growth, yield, starch content, vitamin C content, and marketable tuber formation. Under the same irrigation frequency and fertilizer level, full irrigation resulted in the highest tuber yield, starch content, and vitamin C content; however, irrigation water use efficiency decreased as water supply increased (Wang et al., 2019). Water deficit generally reduces yield, but moderate regulation at appropriate growth stages can improve water-use efficiency and maintain or even enhance certain quality traits. A meta-analysis of field experiments in northern China showed that deficit irrigation increased water-use efficiency by 10.0% and irrigation water-use efficiency by 31.6%, but reduced yield by 16.4% overall (Niu et al., 2024). In a desert oasis region of northwestern China, mild water deficit during tuber initiation increased water-use efficiency and irrigation water-use efficiency by 25.55% and 32.33%, respectively, without significantly reducing yield, while also increasing starch content. However, water deficit during tuber bulking reduced starch, protein, and reducing sugar contents (Zhang et al., 2024a). 4.3 Southern winter and mountain production areas In southern winter potato production regions, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, and related mountainous or early-spring production systems, the major ecological advantage is the ability to utilize cool seasons for potato production and supply products to the market earlier. Potato growth is optimal under cool, frost-free conditions rather than high temperatures; therefore, local production commonly relies on early planting, plastic mulching, and early-maturing cultivars to complete tuber development before high temperatures become limiting. Compared with plateau regions, southern winter and mountain production areas usually experience higher humidity, greater rainfall pressure, and stronger disease risks. In Guangdong, one of the major winter potato production regions, phytoplasma disease incidence reached 20%–35% in surveyed fields, and tubers produced in this region may transmit the disease to spring and summer potato production areas (Cheng et al., 2019). High rainfall, heavy soils, and disease pressure also affect quality maintenance. In southern Shanxi, rotation with maize or soybean increased tuber yield by 18.39%-20.69%, while also improving marketable tuber rate and increasing tuber nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, crude protein, vitamin C, starch, and dry matter contents, while reducing reducing sugar content (Liu et al., 2026). Rotation also reduced pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium and Alternaria, indicating that rational crop rotation can partially alleviate the negative impacts of humid environments. 5 Cultivation Practices Affecting Nutritional Quality and Bioactive Compound Accumulation 5.1 Effects of fertilization management Combined application of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) generally improves tuber yield, starch content, and overall quality more effectively than the application of individual nutrients, indicating that balanced nutrient supply is essential for colored potato production rather than simply increasing nitrogen inputs (Wang et al., 2024). Under ridge–furrow film mulching systems in semi-arid regions, N, P, and K have different effects on dry matter accumulation and yield formation. Excessive nitrogen application slows dry matter accumulation and reduces tuber yield per plant, whereas higher phosphorus and potassium inputs promote assimilate translocation to tubers, thereby increasing tuber dry matter accumulation and yield (Li et al., 2023). Among nutrient factors, the effects of nitrogen fertilization on colored potatoes have been most extensively studied. In purple potato cultivar ‘Huasong 66’, a low nitrogen rate of 90 kg·hm⁻² resulted in better agronomic performance and significantly increased total anthocyanin content. Meanwhile, starch and vitamin C contents were also higher than those under high nitrogen treatment (Zhang et al., 2024b). In purple-blue potato ‘Blue Congo’, nitrogen was more effective than potassium in increasing anthocyanin content; however, potassium application at 120–150 kg ha⁻¹ still enhanced polyphenol accumulation and antioxidant
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