Yeast breads were prepared with three levels of mashed sweet potato pulp and of mung bean flour. Nine combinations of mashed sweet potato pulp (10, 20, 30 percent), and of mung bean flour (4, 8, 16 percent) substitutions for wheat flour were used to determine the acceptability of these enriched breads. Added liquid was adjusted for moisture in sweet potato pulp. Sensory evaluation data was analyzed by analysis of variance to determine the major effective factor on the acceptability of bread. Objective measurements were used to determine bread volume, percent crude nitrogen, percent ether extractable crude fat, and moisture content of the breads. The sensory evaluation results indicated that the bread quality decreased with increase in the amount of mung bean flour; mashed sweet potato pulp did not affect the bread quality except that the highest level (30 percent) has a slight adverse effect on bread texture. The characteristics of all breads made with mashed sweet potato pulp and mung bean flour varied with the amount of substitute ingredient. In general, mung bean flour affected the acceptability of bread and bread quality. Breads made with 20 percent mashed sweet potato pulp and 4 or 8 percent mung bean flour were judged to have more desirable eating quality. Volume of bread was decreased with increase in the amount of mung bean flour and of mashed sweet potato pulp. The percent crude nitrogen increased with the addition of mung bean flour and decreased with the addition of mashed sweet potato pulp. Bread enriched with 16 percent mung bean flour and 10 percent mashed sweet potato pulp increased in the amount of percent crude nitrogen approximately 16.7 percent compared with the control. Percent ether extractable crude fat content of all breads was low and was varied. Moisture content increased with addition of mung bean flour and mashed sweet potato pulp. / Master of Science

Sweet potato single-leaf cuttings of cultivars ‘Centennial,’ ‘Jewel,’ and ‘Nemagold’ were planted in plastic pots containing steam-sterilized sand. Fully opened leaves were counted from the terminal apex on stock plant stems, and leaf positions 1 to 3 and 7 to 9 were referred to as mean leaf positions 2 and 8 respectively. Dry weight and its partitioning among plant organs (leaf, stem, petiole, new shoot, fibrous roots, and stronger roots) differed among the three cultivars. ‘Centennial’ had the highest storage root dry weights in both the first (December-March) and second (April-June) experiments. The new shoots and storage root dry rates of ‘Centennial’ and ‘Jewel’ were 3 to 25 times greater at 79 days after planting (DAP) in the second experiment than at 70 DAp in the first experiment. The new shoot was the dominant sink in ‘Nemagold’ between 28 and 70 DAP in the first experiment but not in the second experiment, and the storage root never became a strong sink in either experiment. A shift from leaf dry weight increases to decrease was observed in the first experiment but not in the second experiment. Leaves in mean leaf position 2 showed higher original plant material (leaf, petiole, and stem) dry weight than mean leaf position 8, but there were no significant differences in final storage root dry weight between these two mean leaf positions in both experiments. Mean leaf positions 2 approximant net assimilation rate (NAR) values based on leaf and new shoot dry weight exceeded mean leaf positions 8 approximate NAR values in both experiments. Plants with stem attachment had higher new shoot and storage root dry weights than plants without stem attachment. Dry weight of the original leaf decreased in plants with steam attachment but not in plants without stem attachment. / M.S.

Since sweet potatoes, which also furnish vitamin A, are a common food in the popular diets of Texas and are so generally grown over the state, the purpose of this study is (1) to ascertain the amount of vitamin C in eight of the varieties most commonly grown and (2) to determine the effect of the three most popular methods of cooking (boiling, baking, and candying) on the vitamin C content of these varieties of sweet potatoes.

The purpose of this study was to determine by biological method of assay the vitamin A content of Puerto Rico sweet potatoes which were dehydrated immediately after harvesting.

The object of this paper is to determine the optimum concentration of sulfur dioxide to be used in the commercial dehydration of the sweet potato by this process. Attention has been given to two aspects of the problem, (1) the effect of sulfur dioxide upon the extraction of water from the sweet potato by mechanical means, and (2) the effect of sulfur dioxide upon the stability of the carotene in the sweet potato over a period of several months.

Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is technically a perennial plant, cultivated and explored as an annual crop. Thus, the identification of the cultivation cycle and sweet potato clones is important for a better utilization of this crop, in both, human and animal nutrition, as for ethanol production. The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of sweet potato clones grown in different cultivation cycles. The experimental design was a randomized block design, in a split-plot scheme, with three replications. We tested in the plots three cultivation cycles (3, 5 and 7 months), and in the split plots, six sweet potato clones (accessions IBP-007, IBP-038, IBP-075, IBP-079 and IBP-149, and cultivar Brazlândia Rosada). The experiment was carried out at the Research Farm "Campus Rural da UFS", located in the municipality of São Cristovão-SE. The analyzed variables were: survival, damages caused by soil insects, fresh and dry weight of the aerial part, total root yield, content of root dry matter, starch and amylose, and yield of starch and ethanol. All variables were subjected to analysis of variance with the F test, and when significant, the means were compared by the Skott-Knott test at 5% probability. The lowest survival rates occurred in the seventh month of cultivation (51.11%), together with the greatest damage caused by soil insects (4.29), where the clones IPB-038 (2.84), IPB-075 (3.01) and IPB-149 (2.88) showed resistance at the seven month cultivation cycle. Clone IPB-007 presented high values of fresh (14.07 t.ha-1) and dry weight (2.81 t.ha-1) of the aerial part in all the cultivation cycles, presenting also high yield of roots (33.16 t.ha-1), starch (6.63 t.ha-1) and ethanol (4,379 L.ha-1). For content of root dry matter (38.32%) and starch (26.70%), and ethanol yield (176.26 L.t-1), the clone IPB-149 stood out. There was no significant difference in amylose content. The starch content (13.94%) and the yield of roots (7.53 t.ha-1), starch (1.64 t.ha-1) and ethanol (1,034 L.ha-1 and 92.04 L.t-1) were lower for most of the clones evaluated with three months of cultivation. We recommend the use of the cultivation cycle of five months. / A batata-doce [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] é tecnicamente uma planta perene, plantada e explorada como anual. Sendo assim, a identificação do ciclo de cultivo e de clones de batata-doce é importante para um melhor aproveitamento dessa cultura, tanto na alimentação humana e animal, como para produção de etanol. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de clones de batata-doce cultivados em diferentes ciclos de cultivo. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com três repetições. Foram testados nas parcelas três ciclos de cultivo (3, 5 e 7 meses), e nas subparcelas, seis clones de batata-doce (acessos IBP-007, IBP-038, IBP-075, IBP-079 e IBP-149, e a cultivar Brazlândia Rosada). O experimento foi implantado na Fazenda Experimental Campus Rural da UFS , localizada no Município de São Cristovão-SE. As variáveis analisadas foram: sobrevivência, danos causados por insetos de solos, massa fresca e seca de parte aérea, produtividade total de raízes, teor de matéria seca de raiz, amido e amilose e rendimento de amido e etanol. Todas as variáveis foram submetidas à análise de variância com teste F e, quando significativa, as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Skott-Knott ao nível de 5% de probabilidade. Os menores índices de sobrevivência ocorreram no sétimo mês de cultivo (51,11%), juntamente com os maiores danos causados por insetos de solo (4,29), onde os clones IPB-038 (2,84), IPB-075 (3,01) e IPB-149 (2,88) apresentaram resistência no ciclo com sete meses. O clone IPB-007 apresentou elevados valores de massa fresca (14,07 t.ha-1) e seca (2,81 t.ha-1) de parte aérea, em todos os ciclos de cultivo, apresentando também, alta produtividade de raiz (33,16 t.ha-1), amido (6,63 t.ha-1) e etanol (4.379 L.ha-1). Já para teor de matéria seca de raiz (38,32%) e amido (26,70%) e rendimento de etanol (176,26 em L.t-1), o clone IPB-149 se destacou. Não houve diferença significativa para o teor de amilose. O teor de amido (13,94%) e o rendimento de raiz (7,53 t.ha-1), amido (1,64 t.ha-1), e etanol (1.034 L.ha-1 e 92,04 L.t-1) foram menores para a maioria dos clones avaliados no ciclo com três meses de cultivo. Recomenda-se usar o ciclo de cultivo de cinco meses.

Thesis. (M. A. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Food security, poverty and hunger issues, as well as methods of addressing remain a concern for many South Africans. Smallholder farmers' agricultural production is seen as the key to simultaneously alleviating poverty and ensuring food security, especially in rural areas. The sweet potato crop is commonly produced by smallholder farmers in rural areas as a staple in many South African households with the potential to reduce hunger and poverty. Nevertheless, just like other crops, the sweet potato is impaired by external factors such as extreme weather conditions, insects, pests and diseases, thus threatening food security. The most destructive pest to sweet potatoes acknowledged in the literature is the sweet potato weevil (SPW), which can cause between 5-100% in areas where it is not controlled. While there are many SPW control measures Entomopathogenic Nematodes (EPNs) are emerging as one of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) bio-control techniques that have shown promise in controlling SPW infestations in South Africa and globally. This study conducts a socio-economic analysis of smallholder sweet potato production and analyses the acceptability of EPNs as bio-control measures against the SPW in the Gauteng, Limpopo and North West Provinces of South Africa. This was done through an assessment of farmers‘ knowledge, attitudes, perception and practices (KAPP analysis), exploration of the acceptability of EPNs by farmers, determination of and factors influencing profitability and technical efficiency. Primary data was collected from 119 respondents who were selected through non-probability sampling techniques; purposive, census, and snowball. The analytical tools used to analyse the data were descriptive statistics, Gross Margin Analysis, Multiple linear regression model, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Tobit regression model. From the results, an average knowledge score of 2.30 based on a 3–point Likert scale revealed that sweet potato farmers are knowledgeable of the SPW, the impacts and the control measures. Despite this level of knowledge, the farmers were impartial about the attitudes and perceptions regarding the SPW and the control measures. This was based on the findings of a 5-point Likert scale, which yielded average scores of 2.53 and 2.74, respectively. The study also revealed that the majority of the farmers prefer the use of indigenous and physical practices to control SPW. With regards to acceptance of the EPNs bio-control innovation towards control of the SPW, a mean Composite Index of Acceptancy (CIA) of 0.77 revealed the willingness of farmers to accept the EPNs as a bio-control measure. A Gross margin of R9 552.37 indicates that sweet potato farming is generally profitable, and this is influenced by socio-economic factors such as marital status, employment status, sweet potato output per cycle and access to machinery. On the other hand, while sweet potato farming was found to be profitable, the DEA score of 0.09 reveals that these farmers are technically inefficient. Their technical inefficiency is influenced by sweet potato output per cycle, gross margins, farm size, and access to credit, employment status, and chemical use. Based on these findings, the study recommends farmers‘ support through capacity development initiatives for the sweet potato farmers with regards to general economics of sweet potato production and marketing to maximise and sustain their revenue generation, as well as their general efficiency. In addition, increased training and awareness of the EPNs and their benefits as bio-control measures towards SPW infestation will work towards changing farmers‘ mindset with regard to SPW control measures. / Department of Social Innovation (DSI) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Thesis (M.Sc. (Horticulture)) --University of Limpopo, 2022 / Worldwide, water scarcity, land degradation and unavailability of agricultural lands have posed serious threats on food security and income generation. Hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and starvation are likely to go up in Africa due to increasing urbanisation and rise in global food prices. As a result, it is important to identify innovative vegetable growing-based strategies, which can increase access to food by utilising the limited space available in rural and urban areas. Therefore, sack gardening technology could be a solution to both the lack of arable land and water scarcity in urban and rural areas. The objective of the study was to determine whether axillary bud number will have an effect on agronomic parameters and yield of sweet potato cv. 'Blesbok' produced using the sack gardening technology. Treatments, namely, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 number of axillary buds per stem cutting, were arranged in randomised complete block design, with 10 replicates. One bud (1) was used as a control. Different stem cuttings measuring from 10 to 30 cm long with approximately one (1) to six (6) axillary buds were collected from mature sweet potato plantation at a certified nursery from cv. 'Blesbok'. A total of eight (8) stem cuttings were planted in sacks consisting of growing media mixture of steam pasteurised loam soil and compost (3:1 v/v), 4 on top side of the sack and the remaining four on the side-holes of the sack. Insect pests were scouted and monitored weekly, while diseases were managed using spraying programmes as in commercial sweet potato production systems. Two weeks after transplanting, each plant was fertilised with 5 g nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) 2:3:2 (26) + 0.5% Zinc (Zn) + 5% sulphur (S) and 5% calcium (Ca). Number of axillary buds had significant effects on vine length, fresh shoot mass, number of shoots and dry shoot mass contributing 59%, 58%, 45% and 58% in total treatment variation (TTV), respectively, whereas axillary bud numbers had no significant effects on fresh tuberous root mass, chlorophyll content, vine stem diameter, tuberous root diameter, tuberous root length, dry tuberous root mass and number of tuberous roots. Relative to control (one bud), two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5) number of axillary buds decreased vine length, fresh shoot mass and dry shoot mass by 8-37, 30-55 and 26-55%, respectively. However, relative to control (one bud), number of axillary buds increased number of shoots by 8-17%. The quadratic relationship models were explained by 95, 92, 96 and 98% of vine length (VL), number of shoots (NS), fresh shoot mass (FSM) and dry shoot mass (DSM), respectively. In conclusion, findings of the study demonstrated that a single (1) or two (2) axillary bud(s) on stem cuttings of sweet potato CV. „Blesbok‟ showed better results for both yield and growth parameters as compared to three (3), four (4) and five (5) buds. / AgriSETA

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) is ranked as the seventh most important food crop in the world and its large biomass and nutrient production give it a unique role in famine relief. However, multiple virus infection is the main disease limiting factor in sweet potato production worldwide. The main objective of this research project was to develop a transgenic sweet potato cultivar with broad virus resistance in South Africa (SA). A review of current literature assembled background information pertaining to the origin, distribution and importance of the sweet potato crop; viruses and complexes infecting sweet potato; and the strategies used in sweet potato virus detection and control. A survey to determine the occurrence and distribution of viruses infecting sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) was conducted in major sweet potato-growing areas in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). A total of 84 symptomatic vine samples were collected and graft inoculated onto universal indicator plants, Ipomoea setosa Ker. and Ipomoea nil Lam. Six weeks post inoculation, typical sweet potato virus-like symptoms of chlorotic flecking, severe leaf deformation, stunting, chlorotic mosaic, and distinct interveinal chlorotic patterns were observed on indicator plants. Under the transmission electron microscope (TEM), negatively stained preparations of crude leaf sap and ultra-thin sections from symptomatic grafted I.setosa plants revealed the presence of elongated flexuous particles and pinwheel type inclusions bodies‟ that are characteristic to the cytopathology of Potyviruses. Symptomatic leaf samples from graft-inoculated I. setosa and I. nil were assayed for Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPMMV), Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Sweet potato mild speckling virus (SPMSV), Sweet potato caulimo-like virus (SPCaLV), Sweet potato latent virus (SPLV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and Sweet potato C-6 virus (C-6) using the nitrocellulose membrane enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (NCM-ELISA). The majority of leaf samples (52%) tested positive for virus disease and showed the occurrence of SPFMV, SPMMV, SPCSV, SPCFV, SPVG, SPMSV, and SPCaLV. Of these 7 viruses, the most frequently detected were SPFMV (39%), SPVG (30%), followed by SPCSV (13%) and SPMMV (12%). SPCaLV and SPCFV at 10% and SPMSV at 7% were found exclusively in samples collected from one area. SPFMV, SPVG, SPCSV, and SPMMV were identified as the most prevalent viruses infecting sweet potato in KZN. The genetic variability of the three major viruses infecting sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) in KZN was determined in this study. A total of 16 virus isolates originating from three different locations (Umbumbulu, Umfume and Umphambanyomi River) in KZN were analyzed. These comprised of 10 isolates of Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), five isolates of Sweet potato virus G (SPVG) and one isolate of Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV). The phylogenetic relationships of the SPFMV, SPVG and SPCSV isolates from KZN relative to isolates occurring in SA and different parts of the world were assessed. The division of SPFMV into four genetic groups (strains) according to the phylogenetic analysis of coat protein encoding sequences revealed mixed infections of the O (ordinary) and C (common) strains in sweet potato crops from KZN. All SPFMV isolates showed close lineage with isolates from South America, East Asia and Africa. The SPVG isolates showed high relatedness to each other and close lineage with other isolates, especially those from China and Egypt. Analysis of the partial sequence of the Heat shock protein 70 homologue (Hsp70h) gene indicated that the SPCSV isolate from KZN belongs to the West African (WA) strain group of SPCSV and showed close relatedness to an isolate from Argentina. The knowledge of specific viral diversity is essential in developing effective control measures against sweet potato viruses in KZN. Multiple virus infections of Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG) and Sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPMMV) cause a devastating synergistic disease complex of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) in KZN. In order to address the problem of the multiplicity and synergism of sweet potato viruses in KZN, this study aimed to develop transgenic sweet potato cv. Blesbok with broad virus resistance. An efficient and reproducible plant regeneration protocol for sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) cultivar Blesbok was also developed in this study. The effect of different hormone combinations and type of explants on shoot regeneration was evaluated in order to optimize the regeneration protocol. Coat protein (CP) gene segments of SPFMV, SPCSV, SPVG and SPMMV were fused to a silencer DNA, the middle half of the nucleocapsid (N) gene of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and used as a chimeric transgene in a sense orientation to induce gene silencing in the transgenic sweet potato. Transformation of apical tips of sweet potato cv. Blesbok was achieved by using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring a modified binary vector pGA482G carrying the plant expressible neomycin phosphotransferase ll gene (nptll), the bacterial gentamycin-(3)-N-acetyl-transferase gene and the expression cassette. A total of 24 putative transgenic plants were produced from the transformed apical tips via de novo organogenesis and regeneration into plants under 50mg/L kanamycin and 200 mg/L carbenicillin selection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analyses showed that six of the 24 putative transgenic plants were transgenic with two insertion loci and that all plants were derived from the same transgenic event. The six transgenic sweet potato plants were challenged by graft inoculation with SPFMV, SPCSV, SPVG and SPMMV- infected Ipomoea setosa Ker. Although virus presence was detected using NCM-ELISA, all transgenic plants displayed delayed and milder symptoms, of chlorosis and mottle of lower leaves when compared to the untransformed control plants. These results warrant further investigation under field conditions. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is a major staple food in Africa and the rest of the world where they are discovered to be a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin A, vitamin C and protein. The maximum production potential of the crop is being hampered by severe drought which ravages most parts of Africa. The main aim of this project therefore is to screen collected accessions of sweetpotatofor drought tolerance in a quick screening method with a view to identify cultivars that can perform well under water stress conditions. Fifty selected sweetpotato accessions consisting of cultivars and breeding lines collected from the ARC-VOPI gene bank were planted for drought screening in the glass house for 6 weeks during which water was withheld to induce stress. Observations were made on number of dead plants and days to wilting point, the results were analyzed and 12 best performing cultivars were selected for field trials. The field trial was carried out in Lwamondo, Thohoyandou for 6months under rain-fed conditions. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized block design with 6 replicates.Yield data and growth parameters were collected every 8 weeks during the trial period and the data collected was analyzed using ANOVA. The best performing cultivars were Zapallo, Tacna, Ejumula, 2004-9-2 and Ndou. They were therefore recommended for further evaluation in other drought prone areas of the country. / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M. Sc. (Agriculture)