Differentiation of profitability of traditional and innovative potatoes cultivation in poland

The aim of the research was to determine the costs and profitability of traditional and innovative potatoes cultivation in Poland. The experimental field trials of selected potato varieties in various variants were carried out between 2021 and 2022. The applied variants of experiments included potatoes cultivation according to traditional and innovative methods, i.e. in commercial conditions (high intensity of inputs and costs, including fertilization with mineral fertilizers and synthetic plant protection products) and in the absence of fertilization and plant protection, or only with the use of interaction with beneficial microorganisms. For economic calculations, there were applied methods of profitability of potatoes production for the evaluation of various production variants, calculation of production costs and assessment of production profit. The research material consisted of the results of field experiments carried out as part of the international PotatoMETAbiome project for 11 potato varieties and six variants of the experiment in fields located in the north of Poland. Based on the research, it was found that the average potatoes production costs in 2021 and 2022 decreased for traditional variants and increased for innovative variants. In 2021, the lowest production costs were for the variant without fertilization and plant protection products and innovative variants. In turn, in 2022, the lowest production costs were for traditional variants, i.e., with fertilization and protection, and without fertilization with protection, as well as with fertilization and without chemical protection, and without fertilization and without chemical protection. In all years under consideration and for all variants, potatoes cultivation was profitable. The potatoes production profitability ratios during the years under analysis decreased for innovative variants, while they increased for variants with intensive production. It was found that an innovative strategy of potatoes production with the use of beneficial microorganisms may be an economically justified alternative to changing production, market, and political conditions.