[Agricultural climate regionalization of dryland farming for potato in Yinshan based on GIS].

Based on the meteorology dataset of 34 stations over the Yinshan area through the recent 30 years (1982-2010), we investigated the key environmental variables influencing potato yield using the correlation and regression methods. Two environmental variables, including the mean temperature difference, precipitation during the growing season, were selected as the major indexes for determining the suitable area for planting potato. Using the GIS-based small grid calculation model, we interpolated these two major environmental variables and produced the climatic map for potato in Yinshan area. The results showed the high potato yield area located in Qianshan and southern Houshan, and the medium-yield division was mainly concentrated in the central Houshan and north-west Qianshan, the low-yield division was distributed mainly in northern Yinshan. Moreover, this study examined the spatial patterns of potato production, and evaluated the stability of potato yield by combining the relative variability of potato yield. This study could provide valuable references for planting potato in Yinshan area.