Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas)

Sweet potato is two words because the crop is distinctly different from potato (Solanum tuberosum) and Yam (Dioscorea sp.) wich are also grown and marketed in the USA.

Production Requierements

Sweetpotato is a root crop native to the tropics and requieres warm day and nights for optimum growth and root development. Production demands that GAP(good agriculture practices) be follow witch results in high yields and quality, such practices include IPM (Integraded Pest Management) and ICM (Integraded Crop Management), use of micropropagated certify seed, selecting suitable soil, cafeful harvesting and proper handling, curing, and storing

Soil

Sandy and sandy loam soils that are well drained are generally best for sweetpotato. Rich heavy soils produce high yield of low quality roots; and extemely poor, light sandy soils generally produce low yields of high quality roots

Soil PH should be 5.5-6.0

Lime application

The most commonly grown sweetpotatoes are the orange-fleshed types. The market prefers those that have deep orange, moist flesh and smooth, thin, copper-colored skin.

Many types of sweetpotatoes exist. Skin color may be various shades of tan, yellow-orange, red or reddish purple. Flesh color may be various shades of white, yellow-orange, orange, salmon-orange or red

Orange Fleshed varieties:

Beauregard: Developed by Dr. Larry Ralston, an entomologist with the LSU Agricultural Centre's research team, founded a new variety. Ralston created the Beauregard - named after General Pierre Beauregard who fired the first shot of the American Civil War in 1861.This is the most comun variety grow in the US, 120-130 days  from transplanting to maturity, stores well up to a year before is packed.

Caracteristics?

Light rose skin, moderately deep orange flesh.

Covington: Debeloped by NCSU named in honor of  Dr. Henry Covington .Our newest variety was incorporated in our production in 2004 with excellent results and the most important, good reception from National consumers as well in the International Markets.

Cream or White-Fleshed:

O'Henry

As a result of a natural mutation of Orange fleshed was develop as a new variaty for fresh markets as well as snack chips.

Japanese:

Also know as oriental this variety was imported from Asia, first incorporated to our production in 2003 with a exelent reception from Latino markets at the same time chips processor have seen the benefits of process this high dry matter vegetable.

Ridging up soil in rows

Multiplying micropropagated plants

Clipping sweet potato beds	Sweet potato plants

Transplanting sweet potato plants

Sweet potatoes growing in field	Digging up sweet potatoes

Crates of sweet potatoes being cured