Includes bibliographical references.

Potato, botanically called as Solanum tuberosum, is the third most important food crop after rice and wheat in the world. Globally, India ranks third in the production of potato as it is the highest produced vegetable in the country. In Meghalaya, potato is cultivated in all four seasons but most flagrantly during summer and winter. Generally, the new varieties are found with certain yield potential which is not attained in reality by the farmers across different seasons. Given the high production and consumption of potato in Meghalaya, the difference in the yields were explored only in very few research studies. Hence, the present study was an attempt to investigate the yield and its difference with the specific objectives: i) To study the trends in area, production and yield of potato in Meghalaya. ii) To analyse the yield gap of potato across various seasons. iii) To determine the various factors affecting the yield gap of potato. The study involved East Khasi Hills district where a sample of 78 respondents were randomly selected from the villages of Mawmluh and Nongkrem of Mawryngkneng block
and from Lumthangding Nongthymmai and Iewmawiong of Laitkroh Khatarshnong block. Primary data were collected through pre-tested standardized interview schedule and the secondary data were compiled from annual reports of CPRI, ATARI, ICAR-NEH and statistical handbooks of Meghalaya. The investigative tools like Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), yield gap analysis and multiple linear regression were employed. The CAGR of the state was scrutinized for 20 year period from 2000-01 to 2019-20 which was found to be positive for area (0.29%), production (1.21%) and yield (0.71%). The yield gap I and II were higher for winter potato which had higher realized potential yield, however, summer potato had higher realized experimental yield. Size of farm in producer factors, late blight incidence of biotic factors and prices of chemicals and lack of access to markets in economic factors were positively related, of which price of chemicals had higher effect. On the other hand, among the negatively related factors, the physical factor of climate had higher significant effect on yield gap followed by fertilizer application. The study revealed that winter potato was not cultivated by many farmers due to higher cost of cultivation leading to increasing yield gap. It can be concluded that the technological gap (YG I) was higher than the extension gap (YG II). Therefore, it can be recommended to conduct efficient demonstrations of technologies in farmer’s field by ICAR institutes and CAUs provided with the low-cost inputs to farmers.