Sweet potato prefers sandy loam rich in organic matter. It also grows on clay loam. The best soil pH is 5.5 to 6.5. The crop can’t withstand water logging condition and good drainage is essential.
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Climate Requirement
Prefers moderate warm climate. It requires optimum temperature range is 21 to 260 C. Temperature less than 100 C will damage the plants. Sweet potato is grown from sea level upto 2400 m. Crop requires bright sunshine moderate rainfall ranging and long photoperiods promote vine growth and reduce tuber formation.
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Uses
It is one of the world’s highest yielding crop with reference to total food production and requires low inputs. It can be grown through out year in tropical and sub-tropical areas even marginal farmer gets some income. It has drought tolerant cop and can be grown on lands of low fertility and it has the ability of the highest solar energy fixing efficiency. The creepers are used as cattle feed. Sweet potato is used making starch and alcohol. It contains 33% starch and 3% sugar.
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Sowing
Sweet potato propagated by tuber and vine cuttings. Vine cuttings are preferred when two crops are grown in succession it is faster and cheaper vine cuttings are collected from previous crop and are used for planting the succeeding crop. Selected tubers are planted at a spacing of 45 x 30 cm and 5 cm deep that covers an area of 100 m2. After 40-45 days, cut the sprouts having 20-30 cm length and raise in the secondary nursery for further growth which covers an area of around 500 m2. Ultimately when the nursery vines reach a sufficient length, cuttings are made and planted at about 60 x 20 cm spacing and 8-10cm depth. About 40000-50000 cuttings are required to plant one hectare. General practice is to bury the two middle nodes and expose the two extreme ones. Healthy cuttings are planted during February to March in autumn and September to October in in winter.
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Manures & Fertilizers
Sweet potato needs a judicious application of manures and fertilizers. Sweet potato responds very well to added nutrients in soil. In general 15-20 tones FYM and 75:50:75 NPK/ha has been recommended.
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Intercultural Operation
Field should be free from weeds especially early stages of growth. Earthing up of soil will control weeds and also improve physical conditions around the plant. Two manual weedings at 20 and 45 days after planting are sufficient to keep the weeds under control. Earthing up is done at second weeding to prevent exposure of roots. Three days after planting and after wards the crop is irrigated once in a week. Rainy season crop generally does not require irrigation except long dry spell. In Rabi season, apply irrigation at 8-10 days interval depending upon the type of soil to ensure better root development and yield.
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Harvesting
Crop matures in 5-6 months
Maturity of a crop is indicated by a change in color of leaves. Leaves turn yellow gradually dry and or shed
The tubers after harvesting are cleaned, graded and either sends to market or stored.
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Yield
Average yield of sweet potato is 100-150 q/ha and 20 tonnes vine per hectare.
