STATUS OF MECHANIZATION IN POTATOCULTIVATION
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Authors
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Gurkanwal Singh
Punjab Agricultural University
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Baldev Dogra
Abstract
The mechanization of potato production is important for improving timeliness, labour
productivity, resource-use efficiency and economic returns in India. India is the world’s secondlargest
potato producer, with potato production expanding substantially over the past several
decades. However, important operations such as planting, intercultural management and harvesting
continue to involve considerable labour inputs, while adoption of specialized machinery remains
uneven among regions and farm sizes. This review examines the status of mechanization in potato
cultivation in India, covering land preparation, planting, intercultural operations, fertilizer and plant
protection, harvesting and post-harvest handling. In addition to describing available machinery, the
review synthesizes reported field capacity, planting accuracy, tuber damage, labour requirements,
cost savings and operational limitations. The review also considers regional disparities, economic
access through custom hiring, energy and environmental implications, and emerging precision,
machine-vision and robotic technologies. The analysis indicates that mechanization has progressed
from operation-specific tractorization toward integrated and precision systems, but fragmented
holdings, high initial investment, limited technical skills, maintenance constraints and uneven access
to machinery continue to restrict adoption. Greater emphasis on appropriately scaled machinery,
custom hiring services and intelligent technologies is required for sustainable and inclusive
mechanization of potato production in India.
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