Molecular Soil Biology 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 137-149 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 137 Review Article Open Access Potato's Role in Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology KeyanFang1 , Zhongmei Hong2 1 Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang AandF University, Zhuji, 311800, China; 2 Hainan Provincial Institute of Biological Engineering, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China Corresponding email: keyan.fang@jicat.org Molecular Soil Biology, 2025, Vol.16, No.3 doi: 10.5376/msb.2025.16.0014 Received: 01 May, 2025 Accepted: 30 May, 2025 Published: 15 Jun., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Fang and Hong, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Fang K.Y., and Hong Z.M., 2025, Potato's role in sustainable agriculture and agroecology, Molecular Soil Biology, 16(3): 137-149 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2025.16.0014) Abstract As one of the most important non-cereal food crops in the world, potato plays a key role in sustainable agriculture and agricultural ecosystems. The literature review shows that potato can not only efficiently utilize limited resources and improve food security, but also promote ecosystem health and improve farmers' livelihoods through diversified planting and innovative management methods. The use of sustainable measures such as organic fertilizers, cover crops, ecological planting and biostimulants has significantly improved yield, quality and soil health, and reduced dependence on chemical inputs. Through the application of organic fertilizers in Shandong Province, China, potato has not only improved production efficiency and economic benefits, but also optimized the input structure and promoted the green transformation of regional agriculture. Innovative technologies such as hydroponics provide new paths to address climate change and land degradation. Potatoes have shown unique advantages in achieving nutritional security, ecological protection and sustainable rural development. Keywords Potato (Solanum tuberosum); Sustainable agriculture; Agroecology; Organic fertilizer; Food security; Ecological planting; Hydroponics; Soil health 1 Introduction The increasing population, volatile weather, deteriorating land, decreasing water resources, and the disappearance of many plants and animals have made global food security and ecological environment unstable (Barbeau et al., 2015; Djaman et al., 2021; Vilvert et al., 2022; Siamalube et al., 2025). The agricultural methods of the past, which were high-investment and wasteful, not only made the soil worse, but also polluted water sources and increased greenhouse gases in the air, which put increasing pressure on the environment (Khanal et al., 2024). There are still many places where people cannot get enough food, especially in developing countries, where the food production and transportation systems are very unstable, and many people are hungry or malnourished (Aksoy et al., 2021; Siamalube et al., 2025). In order to change this situation, agriculture must develop in a greener, more efficient and environmentally friendly direction. This requires the use of new technologies, more rational use of resources, and improving the resistance of crops to adverse environments, while also protecting the various functions of agricultural ecosystems (Aloo et al., 2020; Vilvert et al., 2022; Khanal et al., 2024; Siamalube et al., 2025). In global food production, root and tuber crops such as potatoes, cassava and sweet potatoes are very important. They are not only staple foods in many countries, but also have high yields, good nutrition and strong adaptability, and are an important choice for ensuring food security (Aksoy et al., 2021; Khanal et al., 2024; Siamalube et al., 2025). Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the fourth largest food crop in the world, second only to wheat, rice and corn. It is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. It can supplement the various nutrients needed by the human body and is very helpful in reducing malnutrition and trace element deficiencies (Aksoy et al., 2021; Siamalube et al., 2025). These crops are highly adaptable and can grow in cold, arid or poor soil areas, which allows some remote or poor areas to be used for farming, which is also beneficial to boosting the local economy (Barbeau et al., 2015; Khanal et al., 2024). Now that climate change is intensifying and resources are scarce, these diversified crops can enhance the risk resistance of agriculture and reduce dependence on a single type of crop (Barbeau et al., 2015; Khanal et
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