Characteristics and Adaptive Potential of Sweetpotato Cultivars Grown in Uganda
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: This paper reviews the characteristics of sweetpotato cultivars grown in Uganda using published literature and highlights the role of farmers' involvement and other stakeholders in sweetpotato production. Sweetpotatoes have a high potential in improving food security in East Africa due to their general high tolerance to heat and water stress, rich vitamin A content, and relatively short growing period. Being known as a reserve crop, sweetpotato is either mono-cropped or inter or relay cropped with other crops. In order to select a variety to grow during a given season, farmers use characteristics such as yield, time to reach maturity, root color, root size, root shape, root quality, sweetness, pest and disease resistance, and marketability. Among the non-orange fleshed sweetpotato cultivars, NASPOT 1, Tanzania, Tororo-3, New Kawogo and Bwanjule rank highly in terms of the characteristics. The Orange fleshed sweetpotato cultivars with most preference include NASPOT 10, Kakamega, NASPOT 5 and NASPOT 8. It should be noted, however, that the importance and popularity of a given variety varies across different parts of Uganda. More participatory plant breeding, variety selection and adaptive research should be encouraged and supported by the research donor agencies to ensure that relevant adaptive strategies are identified and implemented by the smallholder farmers without neglecting the community-based and non-profit organizations that support farmers. This will help in preparing vulnerable communities against the impacts of climate change and other constraints that severely affect sweetpotato production.
Language: English
Subfield: Horticulture
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W153004511