2018 ASHS Annual Conference
Organic Sweetpotato Slip Yield and Quality from a Central United States High Tunnel System
Organic Sweetpotato Slip Yield and Quality from a Central United States High Tunnel System
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
International Ballroom East/Center (Washington Hilton)
Sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are nutritious, easily stored and well-adapted to fit large or small organic farming operations. This widely consumed root crop is propagated through use of cuttings, known as slips, which are grown primarily in the Southeastern United States. Consequently, growers in the Central U.S. have limited control of and access to local planting material. Production of organic slips in high tunnels could be a profitable enterprise for growers in the Central U.S. that would allow them to diversify their operation and encourage the use of crop rotations in high tunnels. Our study evaluated the yield and performance of slips grown in high tunnels as compared to the open-field. Similar trials were conducted in 2017 at two research stations in Northeast and South Central Kansas. We utilized a randomized complete block design for all trials, with at least 4 replications per treatment. Slip beds of ‘Orleans’ sweetpotato were established in high tunnels (HT) and open-field (OF) under identical cultural methods and planting schedule. Seed roots were planted at three planting densities (45, 65, and 85 seed roots/m2) in both the HT and OF. Slips were harvested from HT and OF plots and transplanted to field plots to investigate the impact of slip origin (HT vs. OF) on root crop production. At both locations, marketable slip yields (slips/m2) from the first harvest were similar in HT and OF plots. There was also no change in slip yield from increasing planting densities. However, slips from the first harvest at the South Central location only, planted at 65 roots/m2 were shorter, had greater stem diameter, and had more nodes per length of stem than the other planting densities. Slips grown in HT at the Northeast location were 12% less compact (slip dry wt/cm length) then their OF counterparts. Total marketable sweetpotato yield was not influenced by HT or OF treatments (1.7 and 2.1 lbs/plant, respectively). Similarly, the number of marketable roots was not affected by the HT or OF treatments (3.4 and 3.8 roots/plant, respectively). More research is needed to evaluate the feasibility of sweetpotato slips grown in high tunnel systems and to determine recommendations for seed root planting densities. However, the results of this study suggest that organic sweetpotato slip production could add to diversity in high tunnel systems. Moreover, local slip production might further promote the adoption of an underutilized vegetable crop that can be grown throughout the region.