Abstract

The experiment was conducted in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate and characterize fifteen in-country sweet potato accessions for root characteristics and root yield, plant habits, ground cover, severity of root damage by Cylas puncticollis and Meloidogyne incognita and identify duplications. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed for number of roots per plot, salable roots per plot, unsalable roots per plot and root yield. The highest number of roots per plot, salable roots and root tuber yield were given by E₁₀, followed by B₂₁ while the lowest came from E₁₇. The result indicated B₂₆ as highly susceptible to C. puncticollis, E₃, E₁₁, E₆, E₂₇ and TIS 87/0087 were resistant, while B₆, E₅, B₂, E₁₇, B₂₁, E₁₄, E₇, B₂₃ and E₁₀ were highly resistant to the pest. Seven accessions (E₅, B₆, B₂, E₁₄, E₇, B₂₃ and E₁₀) were highly resistant, five accessions (E₃, B₂₆, E₁₁, E₂ and TIS 87/0087) showed moderate resistance while B₂, E₆ and E₁₇ were highly susceptible to root knot disease. Ground cover of less than 50% was identified with B₂₁ (erect type), the semi-erect types (E₅, E₆, and B₂₃) had ground cover of 50-75%, while the spreading types (B₆, B₂, E₁₁, E₁₇, E₁₄ and E₇) had 76-90% ground cover. The extremely spreading types (E₃, B₂₆ and E₂₇) had more than 90% ground cover. Six accessions (E₅, E₃, E₆, E₁₄, B₂₃ and E₁₀) had white skin, seven (B₆, B₂₆, B₂, E₂₇, E₁₇, E₇ and TIS 87/0087) were pale pink while two (E₁₁ and B₁₂) were pink. The root flesh of one accession (B₆) was white, three yellow, while the remaining eleven accessions were creamy, and E₂₇ and TIS 87/0087 were duplicates.

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