EVALUATING FOR HIGH BETA CAROTENE VARIETY SWEET POTATOES IN THE GUINEA SAVANNA OF GHANA

Abstract

Studies were conducted at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Nyankpala to evaluate high Beta-carotene sweet potato varieties. Beta-carotene-rich (orange-fleshed) sweet potato is one of a few new crops, which is an excellent source of energy and important nutritive substances that can contribute to improve the nutrient status of communities. The crop is being promoted in the developing world as a source of provitamin-A towards alleviating vitamin-A deficiency (VAD). Most of the varieties available to farmers in the Guinea Savannah of Ghana are white and creamy-fleshed with high dry matter content and low levels of vitamin A which is very important in promoting human health. Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) varieties are known to performing very well in respect to high beta carotene content which is a food-based cheap source of beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A. The aim of this work is to select high yielding beta-carotene sweet potato to meet farmers’ food security and nutritional needs in the guinea savannah region. Twelve (12) varieties of sweetpotato were evaluated in a randomized complete block design experiment with three (3) replications during the 2010 and 2011 rain seasons. Treatments were the 12 different varieties of sweet potatoes. After 4 months of growth period, the plants were harvested and yield results indicated significant differences (P<0.05) among the varieties in root tuber number, marketable roots weight, vine weight, dry matter and total root yield. Apomuden, which is an orange-flesh sweetpotato produced the highest root tuber yield of 19.81 t/ha and the highest marketable roots tuber number of 32, significantly higher than the local check Nasamu Red Vine, a cream flesh type. The orange-flesh variety produced higher root tuber yield but indicated the lowest dry matter yield of roots. The findings shows high root yield potential of orange-flesh varieties than the cream and the white types.