Details cultivation practices of sweet potato.

1. Sweet Potato
Botanical Name: Ipomoea batatas (L)
Family: Convolvulaceae
Origin-Central and South America
Local name-Rataalu/Ratale
Sweet potato is a herbaceous perennial vine.
It is a starchy tuberous roots.
Tubers are use as food in many forms.
Green tops in succulent stage also use as green leafy
vegetable.
Its flesh ranges from white, red, pink, violet, yellow, orange,
and purple.

2. Soil and Climate:-
Soil:-
Sweet potato can be grown in fertile, well-drained soil, loamy
soil with a pH range of 5.6 - 6.6.
Climate-
It requires a warm temperatures of 24 °C bright sunshine.
Annual rainfalls of 750–1,000 mm most suitable.
The crop is sensitive to drought at the tuber initiation stage 50–60
days after planting, and it is not tolerant to water-logging and
frost.

3. Preparation of field:-
Plough the field to fine tilth.3-4 ploughings followed by 1-2
harrowing and bring the soil to fine tilth.
Seeds and Sowing:-
Sowing /Planting time- Kharif- June – July
Rabi- September
Planting material- Vegetatively propagated , Vine Cuttings .
The vine cuttings should be 15-25cm in length with 2-3 nodes
and to be collected from matured vines aged 3 months and above.
Seed rate-Planting material-vine cuttings 50,000/ha
Seed treatment:- Treat the vine cuttings before planting by
dipping in a solution of Azospyrillum mixing 400 g in sufficient
quantity of water.
Spacing:- 75cmx30cm

4. Varieties: -
H-42,Pusa Safed,Pusa sunehari,H-41,pusa Lal,Co 3, Co CIP 1,
Sree Nandini, Sree Vardhini,
Manures and fertilizers:-
FYM/Compost-10t/ha.
Fertilizers- RDF-100:75:100kg NPK/ha
Basal application- 50:75:100NPKKg/ha. At planting.
Top dressing- 50kg N –after one and half month after planting
followed by earthing up.
Irrigation
Irrigation is done before planting.
to keep soil moist at the time of planting.
Light irrigation next day after planting.
Generally weekly interval of irrigation to keep soil moist.
excess irrigation is harmful to developing tubers.

5. Interculturing:-
Keep the crop weed free by two hand weeding.
The vines are lifted and turned on 50th and 75th day after
planting but before earthing up to prevent root formation at
nodes.
Earthing up- First earthing up at 1 ½ months after planting.
Second earthing up- 2 ½ months after planting.
Harvesting – sweet potato is about four months(110-120days)
duration.
Stop irrigation one week before harvest.
it is harvested when leaves and ends of the vines turning yellow.
Harvesting is done by cutting the vine and soil loosen around the
plant digging up the potatoes.
Separate out damaged and bruised tubers.
Curing- After digging up the tubers, removes soli adhered to the
tubers and kept for curing in a warm place about two weeks.
Yield- 20-25 t/ha of tubers .