Morpho-Agronomic Characterization and Evaluation of In-Country Sweet Potato Accessions in Southeastern Nigeria

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.