Introduction of new niche crop sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) in the eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine

Abstract

Aim. To analyze introduced sweet potato accessions in the conditions of cultivation in the Left-Bank forest-steppe of Ukraine. Results and Discussion. Thirteen introduced sweet potato accessions bred in Ukraine and other countries were evaluated in the conditions of the eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine. We found that the genotypes greatly differed in the growing period length, biometric parameters of plants and performance. Early-ripening accessions were V-1, V-6, A-7, Bonita; mid-ripening - Orlean, D-2 and Murasaki. Late-ripening accessions were the most numerous: Betty, Purpur, Blanka, J-12, Eernandes, and Okinawa. The stem length varied a lot. All the mid-ripening accessions formed long, climbing stems. The variability range was analyzed for the number of additional shoots, internode length, leaf number, root tuber shape, and pulp color. The highest yield of sweet potato root tubers was obtained from dessert accession D-2 (112 t/ha), with a marketability of 88%. Table accession V-6 also gave a high yield (87 t/ha), and the marketability of root tubers was 81%. Based on to the research results, two applications for new varieties of sweet potato, Admiral (obtained by clone breeding, selection from the D-2 genotype) and Slobozhanskiy Rubin (selection from the V-6 genotype), were submitted. Conclusions. Thirteen introduced sweet potato accessions bred in Ukraine and other countries were evaluated in the conditions of the eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine. It was found that the genotypes greatly differed in the growing period length, biometric parameters of plants and performance. Based on to the research results, two applications for new varieties of sweet potato, Admiral (obtained by clone breeding, selection from the D-2 genotype) and Slobozhanskiy Rubin (multi-year selection from the V-6 genotype), were submitted. Keywords: Ipomoea batatas L., sweet potato, introduction, niche crops, genotype.