Effect of bed size and spacing on sweetpotato yield

K.C. Mooi and S.L. Tan

Abstract

Planting sweetpotato (cv. Gendut) on raised flat beds of 1.3 and 2.0-meter widths were tested against the farmers’ preferred practice of using 2.0-meter ridges. Superimposed on bed size were plant spacings of 20, 25 and 30 cm, as well as single or double planted rows per bed. The distance between double rows was 50 cm for the flat beds, and 25 cm for the ridges, while the height of beds was 30 cm and 50 cm for ridges. Over two seasons of testing, the highest total root yield (up to 29.0 t/ha) was recorded when planting on 1.3 m wide flat beds, at 20 or 25 cm plant spacing using double rows per bed. Yield responses appear to be a function of plant population and the above-mentioned combination of practices give a population of 61 500–76 900 plants/ha. Nevertheless, a higher percentage of large roots (>20 cm length) resulted from the use of 2.0 m ridges at 30 cm plant spacing with single-row planting, as is currently practised by some farmers. Thus, if in the future root price is based on grades, this combination of practices should be considered.

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