Sustainable sweetpotato production in the United States: Current status, challenges, and opportunities

Abstract

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important staple crop cultivated in over 100 countries, and the storage roots and vines provide food for humans and livestock. Sweetpotato consumption and demand for its value‐added products have increased significantly in the last two decades and have led to new cultivar development, expansion in acreage, and increased demand in the United States and its export markets. Despite the known nutritional components and other health benefits, further research is needed to characterize the genetic diversity and chemical composition related to their storage root qualities, essential in developing consumer‐preferred cultivars that offer host plant resistance against pests and pathogens. There is a critical need for research on non‐pesticidal control approaches that can provide safe, effective, economical, sustainable, and environmentally sound pest and disease management techniques, especially for socially disadvantaged small farmers in the United States. Moreover, climate change can significantly impact future production practices and yield and may directly or indirectly affect crop pests, weeds, and diseases. In this review, we discuss the current status, challenges, and future approaches associated with sweetpotato production practices; health‐promoting properties of sweetpotato cultivars; value‐added products; genetic diversity and germplasm; pest and disease management; weed and water management; pollination ecology; and other agronomic and cultural practices that may impact sustainable sweetpotato production by small‐scale, organic, and large‐scale growers.