The 2012 ASHS Annual Conference

Sweetpotato consumption and acreage is increasing, but production costs now exceed $4,000 per acre and the high use of hand labor erodes profitability. Strides to mechanize and reduce labor input are difficult because many of the popular varieties are highly susceptible to skinning damage. A preponderance of damage is unsightly for marketing and accentuates rots and weight loss in storage. Our interest is to assess the differences in skinning resistance in varieties of sweetpotato, including those with a putatively tougher skin.  Although the objective is straightforward, quantitative measurements are difficult. Results suggest that a water jet skinning meter developed at North Carolina State University, has the capacity to discriminate between varieties which skin easily in contrast to those with more durable skin. Furthermore, our technique also includes an assessment of desiccation at the wound site and underscores the importance wound healing as an equally important goal. The techniques developed in this study will be useful in developing selection protocols in breeding programs.