Benefit Cost Analysis of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Varieties under Varying Planting Density

Donald A Uzoigwe,Charles C Nwokoro,Chikezie O Ene,Comas O Muoneke

doi:10.15835/nsb11110381

Abstract

An investigation was conducted at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike and at the Research Farm of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State (Nigeria), to determine the benefit cost analysis of orange fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties under varying planting density (25,000; 33,333 and 50,000 plants/ha). The output of the production was computed by the use of benefit cost ratio (BCR) of the orange-fleshed sweet potato production. The benefit cost ratio analysis indicated that enterprise was successful and growing of the ‘Melinda’ variety at 50,000 plants/ha was a more profitable enterprise. The benefit cost-cost ratio of ‘Melinda’ variety at 50,000 plants/ha in 2015 and 2016 was 1.45 and 1.56 respectively while that of ‘Tio-joe’ at 50,000 plants/ha in both cropping seasons gave a benefit cost ratio of 1.14 and 1.42 respectively. The returns from selling of the vine cuttings brought about an incredible hike in the net return of the enterprise. ‘Melinda’ at 50,000 plants/ha is recommended to farmers as the most profitable venture in this experiment.

Highlights

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batata L.) is an important tuber crop in sub-Saharan Africa and ranks second after cassava in Malawi (Chipungu et al, 1999)
Some (OFSP) varieties have high levels of betacarotene in the roots, sufficient to play a key public health role in interventions aiming to reduce the prevalence of the vitamin A deficiencies that occur across much of Sub-Saharan Africa (Low et al, 2007)
Field experiments were conducted at the western farm National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike and Michael Okpara University Umudike Abia State Nigeria, during the 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons respectively to determine the benefit cost analysis of orangefleshed sweet potato varieties in South Eastern Nigeria

Summary

Introduction

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batata L.) is an important tuber crop in sub-Saharan Africa and ranks second after cassava in Malawi (Chipungu et al, 1999). It ranks as the world's seventh most important crop with an estimated annual production of 300 million metric tons and grown on 19 million hectares of land (Amamgbo and Nwachukwu, 2008; Kwach et al, 2010; Muthoni et al, 2011; Laurie et al, 2013). Planting density is one of the most important factors contributing to high yield and vine production of sweet potato crop (Abdissa et al, 2011). For high net return in sweet potato tuber and vine production, Idoko et al (2016) recommend intra row spacing of 20 cm as against 30 cm and 40 cm per hectare; Mortley et al (1991); Sokoto et al

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Conclusion