Abstract

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] young leaves and stems (sweetpotato greens) are also rich in nutrients like other common leafy vegetables. As a non-traditional leafy green vegetable, sweetpotato greens have seen increased consumption recently, as people become more concerned about their health and seek nutritional and health benefits beyond regular food sources. The research was designed to assess the impact of farming systems and soil management practices on the nutritional value of sweetpotato greens. This study used sweetpotato greens from three varieties to evaluate the effects of farming systems (conventional and organic) and soil management practices (with and without a cover crop) on their nutritional composition. The farming system showed significant differences (g/100g DW) in protein (22.7 vs. 17.6 g), fat (5.2 vs. 4.9 g), fiber (18.3 vs. 15.8 g), ash (10.7 vs. 8.3 g), and carbohydrate (54.3 vs. 61.7 g), with conventional farming showing higher values. Soil management practices showed significant differences (g/100g DW) in protein (21.1 vs. 19.2 g), with higher values in cover crops, and in carbohydrate (56.9 vs. 59.2 g), which was higher with no cover crop. Essential minerals such as Ca, Mg, P, and Mn showed no differences between the two farming systems or the two soil management practices. Essential amino acids showed significant differences (g/100g DW) between the two farming systems; however, only histidine (0.42 vs. 0.37 g), lysine (1.19 vs. 1.10 g), methionine (0.35 vs. 0.32 g), and valine (1.15 vs. 1.06 g) showed differences between the two management practices, with cover crop ranked higher. A significant yet minimal difference in nutrient content was observed between conventional and organic farming, supporting earlier findings. This study found that sweetpotato greens are nutrient-rich, suitable as an alternative leafy vegetable, and can be cultivated across different farming systems and soil management practices; however, further research is needed.

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