Sweet Potato TNAU

What is the suitable timing for planting of Sweet Potato at TNAU Agritech Portal, & how to prepare the filed & how to Preparation of cuttings, please provide here all details about that???

[Quick Sam]

TNAU Agritech Portal Sweet Potato planting all information are as given below:

Season
June – July and September are highly suitable for planting.

Preparation of field
Plough the field to fine tilth.
The soil depth should be atleast 30 cm.
Form ridges and furrows at 60 cm apart.
Sweet potato can also be grown in beds.

Preparation of cuttings
The cuttings should be 10-15 cm in length with 2-3 nodes and to be collected from matured vines aged 3 months and above.

Planting
Plant the terminal vine cuttings (80,000/ha) at 20 cm spacing.

Irrigation
Irrigate is done before planting, again on 3rd day and there after once in a week. Stop irrigation one week before harvest.

TNAU Sweet Potato planting

I would like to know the details of the sweet potato like the soil used to grow the crop as well as the pesticides used for protection and process for growing the crop?

[Shaleen]

There are different varieties of sweet potatoes like Co 3, Co CIP 1, Sree Nandini, Sree Vardhini, Kiran, Sree Bhadra, Sree Rethna, Gouri and Sankar which are the popular varieties. Certain local cultivars like SP local, SP 4, SP 13, SP 18 and Musiri Thandel are also well suited for cultivation in Tamil Nadu.

The details of the soil as well as the procedure to cultivate the crop ia as given below:

Soil
Sweet potato can be grown in loamy soil with a pH range of 5.6 - 6.6 as it requires a warm and moist climate.

Season
June – July and September are very highly suitable for planting.

Preparation of field
Plough the field to fine tilth and the soil depth should be atleast 30 cm. Form ridges and furrows at 60 cm apart as Sweet potatoes can also be grown in beds.

Preparation of cuttings
The cuttings must be 10-15 cm in length with 2-3 nodes and to be collected from matured vines aged 3 months and above. Also Dip the vine cuttings in a solution by mixing 400 g of Azospyrillum in sufficient quantity of water.

Planting
Plant the terminal vine cuttings (80,000/ha) at 20 cm spacing only.

Irrigation
Irrigation is done before planting, again on 3rd day and there after once in a week and stop irrigation one week before harvest.

Application of fertilizers
Apply 25 t/ha FYM and 20:40:60 kg NPK/ha as basal and 20:40:60 kg NPK/ha after thirty days. If 20 kg/ha Azospirillum is applied then apply only 2/3rd dose of N. It is advisable to apply N and P in the form of DAP (Diammonium phosphate).

After cultivation
The field should be kept fresh by hand weeding till vines are fully developed. Earthing up can be done on 25th, 50th and 75th day after plantation. The vines are lifted and turned on 50th and 75th day after plantation but before earthing up to prevent root formation at nodes and to make the originally formed roots larger. Spray Ethrel 5 times at 250 ppm at fortnightly intervals commencing from fifteen days after planting.

Plant protection

Crop Protection: Pesticides for Sweet Potato
Tortoise beetles: Aspidiomorpha miliaris,Cassida circumdata

• Collect and kill the grubs
• Spray Malathion @ 200 ml/ac or Fenthion @100 ml/ac
• Use insect-free vines as planting material
• Use yellow sticky trap @12/ha
• Spray Fenthion @625 ml/ha or Carbryl @1.25 kg/ha at 21 days interval at the time of harvesting sweet potato