Abstract
Mulching plays an important role in ameliorating soil and environmental stresses of most tropical crops. But for non‐tropical crops such as potato, the beneficial effects are somewhat obscured by the incompatibility of mulching with existing soil and crop management practices. This paper reviews the main features of mulching. It basically describes the performance of selected mulch materials in potato systems, assesses their beneficial and/or adverse effects, and outlines potential avenues for developing efficient mulching techniques for potato.