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Sweetpotato(Ipomoea batatas(L) Lam.); Convolvulaceae

CO 3, CO – CIP 1, CO 5, IGSP-14, Sree Nandini, Sree Vardhini, Kiran, Sree Bhadra, Sree Rethna, Gouri and Sankar
Can be grown in loamy soil with a pH range of 5.6-6.6.
June – July and September. Plant the terminal vine cuttings (80,000/ha) at 20 cm spacing. The cuttings should be 10-15 cm in length with 2-3 nodes and to be collected from matured vines aged 3 months and above. Dip the vine cuttings in a solution by mixing 400 g of Azospirillum in sufficient quantity of water.
Plough the field to fine tilth. The soil depth should be at least 30 cm. Form ridges and furrows 60 cm apart or beds.
Irrigate before planting, on 3rd day and then after once a week. Stop irrigation one week before harvest.
Apply 25 t FYM/ha and 20:40:60 kg NPK/ha as basal and 20:40:60 kg NPK/ha after 30 days. If 20 kg/ha Azospirillum is applied, apply only 2/3rd dose of N. It is preferable to apply N and P in the form of diammonium phosphate.
The field should be kept clean by hand weeding till vines are fully developed. Earth up the field on 25th, 50th and 75th day after planting. The vines are lifted and turned on 50th and 75th day after planting but before earthing up to prevent root formation at nodes and to make the originally formed roots to increase in size. Spray Ethrel five times at 250 ppm at fortnightly intervals commencing from 15 days after planting.

Pests
Sweetpotato weevil
 Remove previous sweetpotato crop residues and alternate host , Ipomoea sp. and destroy them.
 Install sex pheromone trap right from beginning of the crop establishment.
 Use pest free planting materials.
 Rake up the soil and earth up at 50 days after planting.
 Harvest the crop immediately after maturity and destroy the crop residues.

Soft rot
 Spot drench with carbendazim @ 1 g/l

20-25 t/ha of tubers in 110 – 120 days.

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