Prospects for cultivating late-ripening potato varieties in the central agricultural zone of the Komi Republic

Agriculturalists of the Komi Republic plant normally middle-early and mid-ripening varieties of potato. Among 51 varieties released for the Komi Republic, only one (Nikulinsky) belongs to the late-ripening group. In the context of global climate warming undoubtedly affecting northern crop production, regionalisation of late-ripening potato varieties could expand the range of varieties, including domestic selection varieties, planted in the region. In 1991–2025, the summer period duration in the central agricultural zone of the Komi Republic was sufficient for the formation of commercial tubers of medium-late potato varieties. In some years with particularly favorable weather conditions the agroclimatic conditions were appropriate for late potato varieties. The summer period duration had a statistically significant positive (p=0.03) trend to increase and was characterised by accumulation of active heat above 10 °C (p=0.002). Over the past 35 years, the sum of active temperatures in half of the growing seasons exceeded 1600 °C. In the last decade, the frequency of such years increased. The summer temperatures in 2023–2025 allowed to accumulate active heat in sum of more than 1800 ° C. The observed increase in number of summer days with stable average daily air temperatures above 10 °C and sum of active heat accumulated during this period, against a statistically significant (p=0.05) trend of warming of the early autumn period (the second half of September), can contribute to the creation of favorable conditions for the cultivation of late-ripening potato varieties in the central agricultural zone of the Komi Republic.