Cultivars

Sweet Potato Cultivars

  • There are many varieties, which are differentiated mainly by the shape, size, colour of tuber, flower colour and leaves. However, there are two important groups of varieties from the market point of view, based on outer colour (rind) of tuber. They are usually grouped either as white or red type.
  • White type is supposed to be less sweet and more fibrous whereas red types are shorter in duration and has a better quality flesh. Sweet potato varieties differ in shape, size and colour of leaves, tubers and nature of tuber flesh.
  • A number of local cultivars like Badrakali chuvala, Chakkaravalli, Anakomban and Kottaram chuvala are grown in Kerala.
  • The Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram developed quite a good number of varieties and a brief description of them are given below:

Varsha

  • A semi-spreading hybrid with reddish purple skin, light yellow flesh and excellent cooking quality; yield 18-22 t/ha in 120-125 days.

Sree Nandini

  • A spreading variety with light cream skin, white flesh and good cooking quality; yield 20-25 t/ha in 100-105 days.

Sree Vardhini

  • A semi-spreading variety with purple skin, light orange flesh and high carotene content (1200 I.U.)
  • Yield 20-25 t/ha in 100-105 days.
  • Tolerant to Feathery mottle virus.

Sree Ratna

  • A spreading variety with purple skin, orange flesh and excellent cooking quality; yield 20-26 t/ha in 90-105 days.

Sree Bhadra

  • A semi-spreading variety with light pink skin and cream flesh; resistant to root knot nematode; yield 20-27 t/ha in 90-95 days.

Sree Arun

  • A spreading variety with pink skin, cream flesh and good cooking quality; yield 20-28 t/ha in 90-100 days.

Sree Varun

  • A spreading variety with cream skin, cream flesh and good cooking quality; yield 20-28 t/ha in 90-100 days.
  • The Kerala Agricultural University developed an improved variety, Kanjangad, yielding 12. 39 t/ ha.
  • Purple coloured and spindle shaped tubers have yellow soft flesh.
  • It is tolerant to shade and weevil incidence.

V-8 (FB-4004)

  • Crop duration is of 4 months.
  • The vines are long and trailing, with a purple shade at the internodes.
  • The stem is round smooth and hairy.
  • Tubers are small in size, spindle shaped and white skinned.
  • The flesh has a creamy colour. It is non fibrous and agreeable to taste.

V-12 (TST white or Tie Shen Tun)

  • Three and a half to four months duration.
  • The vine has a semi erect habit.
  • The tubers are big sized and elongated and have white skin.
  • The flesh is white, it is sweet to taste and is non fibrous.

Pusa Safed (IARI)

  • This is a selection of a white variety originally introduced from Taiwan.
  • A high yielding, table variety with wide adaptability.
  • More popular in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
  • The tubers are somewhat elongate, white skinned and white fleshed.
  • The boiled flesh is creamy white, moist, sweet and very palatable, duration of 105 days, less affected by weevil, 26-30 t/ha.

Pusa Sunehri (IARI)

  • It is a selection from material obtained from the USA.
  • The tubers are elongate, light brown skinned and yellow fleshed.
  • The boiled flesh is attractive orange yellow, moist and sweet.
  • The tubers contain 24.8 ppm of carotene.

Pusa Lal (IARI)

  • This is a selection from a Japanese variety (Norin).
  • A purplish red skinned and white fleshed variety which produces a high proportion of marketable tubers.
  • Popular in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra.

CO-1 (TNAU)

  • A selection from indigenous collection made at TNAU, released in 1976.
  • It has a duration of 120 days and yields 18-22 t/ha.
  • Skin colour is light pink with white flesh. Tolerant to sweet potato weevil.

CO-2 (TNAU)

  • A seedling selection from open pollinated progeny released in 1980, duration of 125 days.
  • Yield of 20-25 t/ha.

CO-3 (TNAU)

  • Similar to CO-2, duration of 110-120 days.
  • Skin colour is light red with dark orange coloured flesh indicating high carotene content.

V-2 (PAU)

  • Broad leaves which are dark green in colour.
  • The stem is long, thick and hairy.
  • The tubers are large in size, white in colour and non fibrous.
  • Average tuber yield is 15 t/ha.

V-6 (PAU)

  • Base of the leaves have purple colour.
  • The tuber is large, thick red in colour and non fibrous, tuber yield is 10 t/ha.

V-8 (PAU)

  • Broad, entire and dark green leaves with purple tinge.
  • Base of leaves have purple stain.
  • The stem is thick, long and purple in colour.
  • Tubers are long, thick, white in colour with red hue.
  • Slightly fibrous in cooking. Tuber yield is 6¬-11.8 t/ha.

Cross 4 (RAU, Bihar)

  • Released in mid sixties (1965).
  • Matures in 105 days and yields 20-30 t/ha.
  • Highly susceptible to weevil infestation resulting in 30-40% reduction in yield.

Rejendra Sakarkand-5 (RAU, Bihar)

  • A hybrid developed from cross 4 x M-5.
  • The tubers are cylindrical producing 4-6 tubers per plant, weighing around 500-600 g/tuber and maturing in 105-120 days.
  • Tuber yield is 20-25 t/ha.
  • The colour of tuber and flesh is white.
  • The tubers cook well with accepted taste.
  • It is suitable for September (autumn) planting under North Bihar conditions.
  • Resistant to Fusarium wilt and Cercospora leaf spot diseases and tolerant to sweet potato weevil.

Kalmegh (RAU, Bihar)

  • A new selection with extra early bulking.
  • Duration is 90 days with a tuber yield of 26 - 32 t/ha and could be easily fitted in 4 crops in a year rotation that is maize, sweet potato, wheat and moong (Green gram).

Samrat (APAU)

  • Selection from the open pollinated seedling progeny. Tubers are fusiform with light pink skin and white flesh. Early maturing with a tuber yield of 18-24 t/ha. Moderately resistant to sweet potato weevil.

VL Sakarkand-6 (APAU)

  • This is an exotic accession named B-219 from the USA released for general cultivation in the hilly regions of UP.
  • Tubers are elongated with purple skin and light yellow flesh.
  • Tuber length is 15-18 cm with 12-14 cm girth.
  • Tuber yield is 18-22 t/ha. The tubers cook well and are tasty.

H-41 (CTCRI)

  • Hybrid between a Japanese variety Norin x Local variety Bhadrakalichola.
  • Tuber size is 16-20 cm in length and 4-5.5 cm in diameter.
  • Duration of 120 days, tubers fusiform and has white skin and flesh.
  • Tuber yield of 20-37 t/ha.
  • Tuber boils easily and has sweet taste with less fibre. Highly tolerant to sweet potato weevil.

H-42 (CTCRI)

  • Cross between an indigenous variety, Vella Damph x American variety Triumph.
  • 14-20 cm long and 4.6 mm diameter.
  • Tubers are fusiform, duration 120 days.
  • Tuber skin is pink with yellowish white flesh.
  • The cooked tubers are sweet in taste and free from fibre.
  • Tuber yield of 20-37 t/ha. Highly tolerant to sweet potato weevil.

CI 853-4 (Vikram)

  • It is a selection made at UAS, Dharwad from an introduced material of AVRDC, Taiwan.
  • Tubers are pink skinned, flesh is creamy, matures in 85-95 days (short duration) escapes sweet potato weevil, yielding 35 t/ha.
  • Tolerant to water stress condition.

H-268

  • Double hybrid ACC No..39, 3 (Hybrid-74), ACC No. 1871, 1130 (Hybrid 42).
  • Duration of 120 days, tubers fusiform, long, red coloured with pink red and light yellow flesh.
  • Tuber yield of 25-28 t/ha, highly tolerant to weevil and popular in Maharashtra.

S-30

  • Duration 90-110 days, round, light brown, Tuber yield of 22-30 t/ha, susceptible to weevil.

V-35 (APAD)

  • Duration of 105-120 days, round, light brown, less affected by weevil.
  • Tuber yield of 26.5-¬30 t/ha.

8-635

  • Duration of 120-140 days, long, red, less affected by weevil.
  • Tuber yield of 20-25 t/ha.

H-620

  • Duration of 120-135 days, long, red, less affected by weevil.
  • Tuber yield of 22-25 t/ha.

R-S-5

  • Duration of 105-120 days.
  • Tubers are fusiform and white.
  • Tuber yield of 27.5-32.5 t/ha.

Apart from the released cultivars, the following cultivars are giving good performance in different parts of India

  • OP-1,
  • H-260,
  • V-35,
  • Kerala Local Kanhangad.

Varieties suitable for South India

  • V-2 (FA-17- White),
  • V-6 (FA-17-Red),
  • V-8 (FB-4004) introduced from USA.
  • V-12 (TST-White) or Tie Shen Tun is a Chinese variety.
  • V8 and V -12 are the most popular varieties of the South.
Last modified: Tuesday, 8 November 2011, 8:46 AM