Category: Potatoes

According to the manual Produced by CIP-Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Office (SSA), Nairobi, Sweet potato has the potential to produce remarkably high yields if given the right growing conditions and can also yield more reliably under unfavorable conditions than many other crops, which is why it is so important for household food security in many places in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This topic therefore deals with the environmental factors that can influence sweet potato production which inlcudes: – soil and nutrients, water, light and temperature with their management, and with production practices…

Let us discuss about the factors to be considered when selecting and preparing land for sweet potatoes planting. Some of the basic factors to be considered when selecting a a site for sweet potato farming includes: Altitude: Sweet potato grows well from sea level upto 1,700m above sea level (m.a.s.l.). Some varieties even grow up to 2,500m.a.s.l. but have poorer taste and lower dry matter. Soils: Sweet potato can be grown on many types of soil but does best on deep, moderately fertile, sandy loam soils, which produce high quality…

Sweet potatoes are being planted on mounds, ridges or flat beds meanwhile good soil aeration is also required for storage root initiation, growth and higher yields, therefore the height of the mound or ridge to be used is very important. The mounds and ridges to be used must ensure good drainage, making it easier to harvest the mature roots, especially when harvesting is done in a piecemeal fashion as is often the case with sweet potatoes. Whether mounds or ridges or beds are used, their sizes always varies among locations,…