Climate change increasingly threatens potato production through intensified drought stress and emergence of vector-transmitted diseases. This study evaluated straw mulch application as a dual-purpose climate adaptation strategy to enhance potato performance under drought conditions and reduce the incidence of bacterial potato tuber wilt (BPW) caused by ‘ Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus’ and ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’, transmitted by the planthoppers Pentastiridius leporinus and Hyalesthes obsoletus . Field trials conducted from 2022 to 2024 in Bingen am Rhein, Germany, tested five potato cultivars under mulched and unmulched conditions. Complementary greenhouse choice experiments investigated oviposition preferences of P. leporinus in response to soil type and mulch cover. The magnitude of mulch benefits correlated directly with drought severity, demonstrating greatest efficacy under high-stress conditions. Mulch application increased tuber yield by 33% overall, though effects varied significantly across years ( p = 0.003) and cultivars ( p = 0.006), with cultivar Darling showing exceptional drought responsiveness (119% yield increase under severe drought conditions). Mulch significantly reduced rubbery tuber incidence by 22% ( p = 0.019) and showed marginal reduction in wilting symptoms (29%, p = 0.072). In contrast, greenhouse experiments revealed mulch significantly increased vector oviposition ( p < 0.001), particularly at the straw surface layer. These findings demonstrate that mulch operates through complex ecological pathways that buffer drought stress and enhance disease tolerance despite increased vector reproduction. The net positive outcomes for both yield and disease management under drought conditions support strategic mulch deployment as a valuable climate adaptation tool, particularly when integrated with drought-responsive variety selection and precision management frameworks that balance enhanced vector habitat with improved plant resilience under combined abiotic and biotic stresses. This research provides the first comprehensive evaluation of cultivar-specific responses to mulch under combined drought and bacterial pathogen pressure, offering practical insights for sustainable potato production in changing climatic conditions.

Cinmethylin, a pre-emergent applied active ingredient, inhibits the fatty acid thioesterase and offers a new option in the chemical control of Alopecurus myosuroides, one of the most problematic weeds in arable farming in Europe. It was assumed that with the delayed sowing of winter wheat and winter barley due to more humid and cooler conditions, the efficacy of cinmethylin against A. myosuroides increases. Four field trials were conducted in Southwestern Germany from 2019 to 2022. From mid-September until early November, winter wheat and winter barley were sown in at four dates each year, with intervals of fourteen days. After each sowing, 500 and 250 g cinmethylin ha⁻¹ were applied subsequently to winter wheat and winter barley, respectively. Flufenacet (240 g ha⁻¹) served as a comparison in both crops. A herbicide efficacy of over 90% was achieved for winter wheat sown in mid-October, while it was only 70% for winter wheat sown in mid-September. Similar results were observed for winter barley. On average, cinmethylin achieved a significantly higher efficacy in winter wheat than flufenacet. The presented approach with cinmethylin and delayed sowing date provides a basis for the comprehensive control of A. myosuroides. However, further measures of integrated weed management (crop rotation, situational ploughing, and stale seedbed) need to be applied for 100% control.

Changing political demands requires the search for alternatives to glyphosate, which has often been used in the stale seedbed method. In three field trials between 2020 and 2023, three electrophysical treatments (XPower System, Zasso®) differing in speed, three mechanical treatments (disc harrow, rotary harrow, cultivator) and three chemical treatments (glyphosate, maleic hydrazide, pelargonic acid + maleic hydrazide) were evaluated concerning the efficacy and economic performance in stale seedbed method in Alopecurus myosuroides control. Process costs for each treatment were calculated. Furthermore, the maximum investment costs for the XPower system were calculated to be on the same level as the other treatments. In all treatments, the density of A. myosuroides in autumn was significantly lower than in the control. In general, the fewest plants and heads were found in the chemical treatments. Despite the lower plant density, the electrophysical method did not show a significant difference in the number of heads compared to the untreated control, especially at higher speeds. Calculated process costs ranged between 40 €/ha (glyphosate) and 430 €/ha (pelargonic acid + maleic hydrazide). To be economically comparable with the other treatments, the investment of the XPower should be at maximum between-219 000 € (glyphosate) and 300 000 € (pelargonic acid + maleic acid), depending on the driving speed. In a holistic view, electrophysical control, as well as pelargonic acid and maleic hydrazide as glyphosate alternatives in the stale seedbed method, are not suitable. A stale seedbed with mechanical control of A. myosuroides is recommended.