Root Piece Planting in Sweetpotato—A Synthesis of Previous Research and Directions for the Future

Abstract

<jats:p>Sweetpotato (<jats:italic>Ipomoea batatas</jats:italic>) is traditionally grown for fresh consumption, particularly in developed nations, but it is increasingly being used for alternative markets such as processed foods and industrial products. Sweetpotato is well suited for these end uses but its utilization is limited due to high production costs. These costs are primarily the result of high labor inputs. As a vegetatively propagated crop, sweetpotato is typically planted using unrooted plant cuttings, or “slips,” which requires hand labor at several stages. Consequently, planting costs can be as high as 20% of total production costs. As an alternative to slips, sweetpotato can be established using root pieces, similar to the seed piece system used for potato (<jats:italic>Solanum tuberosum</jats:italic>). This system can be readily mechanized and therefore has the potential to reduce labor demands. Root piece planting has been investigated several times since the 1940s but is not reported to be in large-scale commercial use anywhere in the world. In this work, we review the research literature relating to root piece planting in sweetpotato. This literature demonstrates that it is possible for sweetpotato root pieces to produce yields comparable to slips, but that in most cases yields from root pieces are usually lower than from slips. We conclude that given suitable cultural management and appropriate varieties, it may be possible to successfully produce sweetpotato using root pieces. More work is necessary to develop root piece planting as a viable alternative to slips in sweetpotato production. This work should include the selection and breeding of adapted varieties, evaluation of the economics of sweetpotato production using root pieces, development of planting equipment suited to sweetpotato root pieces, and examination of chemical treatments to improve success of root piece planting.</jats:p>

The Carbohydrate Yield of Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) Grown from Slips and Root Pieces in North Carolina

“…We could not attribute the yield variation between sites and years was to environmental factors. This is in agreement with other studies of sweetpotato (Collins et al, 1987;George et al, 2011George et al, , 2014Gr€ uneberg et al, 2005;Kanua and Floyd, 1988;Manrique and Hermann, 2002;Ngeve, 1993). Clones planted as root pieces did not display greater instability than the same clones planted as slips, although factors influencing composition and yield did vary between clones and slips.…”

“…Sweetpotato is relatively costly to produce, and to be economically viable as a carbohydrate crop steps need to be taken to reduce production costs. We compared conventional planting using slips to root pieces, which can be planted mechanically and potentially more cheaply (George et al, 2011). We found that planting method did not significantly influence root composition, however, clones planted from root pieces tended to have lower yields overall.…”

“…At harvest, foliage was removed using a flail mower and then roots were unearthed using a chain digger. Storage roots from each plot were sorted into enlarged root pieces (mother roots) and daughter roots (George et al, 2011). A sample of three daughter roots were taken from each plot, chipped in a food processor, and freeze-dried for dry matter and compositional analysis.…”

“…An alternative propagation method is to use root pieces, similar to the system used for potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), which uses cut tubers as ''seed'' and can be mechanized and therefore reduces labor demands. The yield of existing commercial sweetpotato cultivars planted as root pieces tends to be lower than for slips (George et al, 2011).…”

The Process of Making Candied Dried Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) with Osmotic Dehidratin and Oven Drying

“…Ubi jalar (Ipomoea batatas L.) merupakan salah satu hasil panen yang sangat penting dengan produksi lebih dari 133 juta ton setiap tahunnya di seluruh dunia. Ubi jalar mudah dibudidayakan, dapat tumbuh pada berbagai macam jenis tanah, produktivitasnya tinggi, masa tanam relatif pendek (3-6 bulan), dan membutuhkan sedikit pupuk (George et al 2011). Sampai saat ini manisan ubi jalar belum terlalu dikenal oleh masyarakat.…”