A total of 32 sweet potato genotypes were evaluated to assess the genetic diversity based on quantitative traits and molecular markers, as well as stability for yield and related traits. Wider variability was observed for the traits like vine length (181.2–501.3 cm), number of leaves/plant (103.0–414.0 cm), internodal length (3.20–14.80 cm), petiole length (6.5–21.3 cm), leaf length (8.50–14.5 cm), leaf breadth (8.20–15.30 cm), leaf area (42.50–115.62 cm2), tuber length (7.77–18.07 cm), tuber diameter (2.67–6.90 cm), tuber weight (65.60–192.09 g), tuber yield (7.77–28.87 t ha−1), dry matter (27.34–36.41%), total sugar (4.50–5.70%) and starch (18.50–29.92%) content. Desirable traits such as tuber yield, dry matter and starch content have shown high heritability (>60%) with moderate to high genetic advance. Under molecular analysis, a total of 232 alleles were observed from all 32 microsatellite markers, which ranged from 4 to 14 with an average of 7.77 alleles per locus. In the population, the average observed heterozygosity (0.51) was higher than the expected heterozygosity (0.49). The contribution of genotype, genotype by environment interaction to the total variations was found to be significant. Based on the multi-trait stability index (tuber length, tuber diameter, tuber weight and tuber yield), genotypes X-24, MLSPC-3, MLSPC-5, ARSPC-1 and TSP-12-12 were found to be most stable. Among them, the high-yielding and stable genotypes TSP-12-10 (26.0 t ha−1) and MLSPC-3 (23.9 t ha−1) can be promoted for commercial production or used as parental material in future crop improvement programmes.

Integrating farmers’ preferences into the breeding and dissemination of new genotypes is a effective approach to enhance their successful adoption by farmers. In the case of sweet potato, a staple crop in many parts of West Africa, there is a need for more research on the selection criteria used by farmers when choosing which varieties to grow. This study aims to highlight farmers’ selection criteria for sweet potato varieties in the main production areas in Benin. A total of 480 farmers from the top three sweet potato production areas were surveyed. The relative importance of various traits for sweet potato farmers was evaluated using best-worst scaling methods. Latent class analysis was applied to find groups of farmers with similar preferences. Best-Worst Scaling analysis revealed that high root yield, root size, marketability, and early maturing were the most important variety selection criteria. Latent class analysis revealed three farmers’ groups referred to as ‘Yield potential’, ‘Market value’, and ‘Plant resilience’ classes. ‘Yield potential’ farmers were more likely to be from Atlantique and Alibori departments; they significantly committed more acreage to sweet potato production. The ‘Market value’ farmers highlighted the variety of root size and commercial value as the main selection criteria and consisted of farmers with primary education levels from the Ouémé department. ‘Plant resilience’ refers to a group of Alibori farmers who prioritize environmental issues and primarily grow sweet potatoes for self-consumption. Our findings shed light on farmers’ preferences and suggested that heterogeneity in sweet potato selection criteria was highly influenced by various socio-economic factors and location.

Making woody mulch (WM) from organic waste is one solution for repurposing waste. Our work had two primary objectives. First, we wanted to destermine the current use of WM as a soil cover, barriers to use, benefits, and possible motivations for adopting the use of WM by home and commercial growers for cultivating crops in Barbados and the Baltimore-Washington, DC metropolitan region in the USA. To accomplish this objective, we administered a survey to growers in both regions. Second, we wanted to determine the benefits of using WM in agricultural production for sweet potatoes (both regions) and Hungarian hot wax peppers (USA). We measured whether WM influenced crop survival, crop yield, crop nutrients, weed mass, and soil characteristics in replicated plots covered with a layer of WM or left bare. Growers reported that expense, availability, and ease of application were barriers to using WM. Despite the barriers, many growers were using, or had previously used, WM and reported myriad benefits, including improving plant yield and/or nutrients, preventing weed growth, maintaining soil moisture and reducing irrigation needs, improving soil fertility, reducing soil erosion, reducing compaction from heavy rain, and maintaining soil temperature. Our data from replicated field trials verified some of the potential benefits reported by growers. WM in some cases promoted higher crop survival and yield of sweet potatoes, suppressed weeds, conserved soil moisture, and maintained higher soil temperature. Understanding which crops benefit from WM and the longer-term effects of WM on crops and soil are deserving of future study.

Across the Pacific, agricultural systems have used two main complementary cultivation regimes: irrigated farming of wet environments and rain-fed cropping of drylands. These strategies have different productive potential and labour needs, which has structured their temporal and spatial distributions. Although these approaches have been studied a great deal at a general level, there has been less work on the local use and significance of these strategies. Here, the authors evaluate ideal distribution models of agricultural activities in the Punalu‘u valley on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, to assess how habitat suitability changed as a result of infrastructural investment and dynamic environmental, social and demographic change. The results are of relevance for contemporary initiatives to revive Indigenous agricultural systems in Hawai‘i and beyond.

Poultry manure (PM) has been shown to boost crop productivity. However, little is known about its favorable interactions with wood biochar (B) on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) growth and yield, and soil qualities. Hence, a 2-year field trial was conducted in the southwest Nigeria at two locations (Owo – site A and Obasooto – site B) to co-apply PM and wood B as soil amendments to boost sweet potato productivity and soil quality. The experiment consisted of a 3 × 4 factorial layout with three replications. PM and B significantly reduced soil bulk density and improved porosity and moisture content with their rate of application when compared to the control. As PM and B applications increased from 0 to 10.0 t ha−1 and 0 to 30.0 t ha−1, respectively, soil chemical properties and sweet potato growth and tuber yield increased. Co-application of 10.0 t ha−1 PM and 30.0 t ha−1 B increased tuber yield by 220% compared to treatments without PM or B. Significant synergistic interactions between PM and B were observed for all parameters. In comparison with other treatments, co-applying PM and B to sweet potato soils is a viable sustainable option for increasing sweet potato productivity and soil sustainability.

The allelopathic influence of sweet potato cultivar ‘Regal’ on purple nutsedge was compared to the influence on yellow nutsedge under controlled conditions. Purple nutsedge shoot dry weight, total shoot length and tuber numbers were significantly lower than the controls (47, 36, and 19% inhibition, respectively). The influence on the same parameters for yellow nutsedge (35, 21, and 43% inhibition, respectively) were not significantly different from purple nutsedge. Sweet potato shoot dry weight was inhibited by purple and yellow nutsedge by 42% and 45%, respectively. The major allelopathic substance from ‘Regal’ root periderm tissue was isolated and tested in vitro on the two sedges. The I50's for shoot growth, root number, and root length were 118, 62, and 44 μg/ml, respectively, for yellow nutsedge. The I50's for root number and root length were 91 and 85 μg/ml, respectively, for purple nutsedge and the I50 for shoot growth could not be calculated.

Sulfentrazone is commonly used for weed control in soybeans and tobacco, and vegetable crops and cotton are often rotated with soybeans and tobacco. Studies were conducted to evaluate the potential for sulfentrazone to carryover and injure several vegetable crops and cotton. Sulfentrazone was applied PRE to soybean at 0, 210, 420, and 840 g ai/ha before planting bell pepper, cabbage, cotton, cucumber, onion, snap bean, squash, sweet potato, tomato, and watermelon. Cotton, known to be susceptible to sulfentrazone carryover, was included as an indicator species. Cotton injury ranged from 14 to 18% with a 32% loss of yield in 1 of 2 yr when the labeled use rate of sulfentrazone (210 g/ha) was applied to the preceding crop. High use rates of sulfentrazone caused at least 50% injury with yield loss ranging from 36 to 100%. Bell pepper, snap bean, onion, tomato, and watermelon were injured < 18% by sulfentrazone at 840 g/ha. Squash was injured < 3% and < 36% by sulfentrazone at 210 and 840 g/ha, respectively. Yield of these crops was not affected regardless of sulfentrazone rate. Cabbage and cucumber were injured < 13% by sulfentrazone at 210 and 420 g/ha, and yields were not affected. Sulfentrazone at 840 g/ha injured cabbage up to 46% and reduced yield in 1 of 2 yr. Sulfentrazone injured cucumber up to 63% and reduced yield of No. 2 grade fruits. Sulfentrazone at 210 and 420 g/ha injured sweet potato < 6% and did not affect yield. Sulfentrazone at 840 g/ha injured sweet potato 14% and reduced total yield 26%. Our results suggest little to no adverse effect on bell pepper, cabbage, cucumber, onion, snap bean, squash, sweet potato, tomato, or watermelon from sulfentrazone applied at registered use rates during the preceding year.

The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential of sweet potato as a feed ingredient for poultry diets. This review discusses in general the metabolisable energy value of this feed resource when compared to maize and its impact on the performance of broilers and layers fed at various inclusion rates. Trypsin inhibitors are the major anti-nutritive factor present in sweet potato; however these are eliminated with heat treatment. Nutrient profile and feeding value of different types of sweet potato meal such as potato root meal, potato peel waste, potato leaf meal and cooked potato meal are discussed. Based on feed cost, this could be an effective alternative feed ingredient in the diets of broilers and layers.

The sweet potato weevil (SPW), Cylas formicarius, is a serious pest of sweet potato in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Ten strains of Metarhizium sp. isolated from Australian soil samples were evaluated for their growth characteristics and screened for virulence to adult SPW under laboratory conditions. All isolates except QD62 (48.6%) had moderate to high germination (66–97%), and all took 2 to 4 days to sporulate at 25 °C. The optimal temperature for radial growth for the majority of isolates was 30 °C, and there was a significant interaction between isolate and temperature (P< 0.05). Isolate QS155 showed the fastest radial growth at 30 °C. The internal transcribed spacer sequences showed slight variations among the isolates; however, all isolates were shown to be Metarhizium anisopliae. Isolates varied greatly in their virulence. At 10 days after inoculation (DAI) by immersion in a suspension of 1 × 107conidia/ml, 9 of the 10 isolates were virulent, causing 80–100% mortality of adult SPW. Only two isolates (QS001-6 and QS155) caused more than 50% mortality at 5 DAI. In dose-mortality bioassays, isolate QS155 had the lowest 20-day LC50 and LC90 values; however, there were no statistically significant differences in mortality among the three most promising isolates tested (QD66, QS001-6 and QS155). These results show that M. anisopliae isolate QS155 has potential as a microbial control agent for SPW, and that further evaluation under glasshouse and field conditions is warranted.