Scientists Survey Research Priorities for Sweet Potato in Developing Countries

Sweet potato is a carbohydrate-rich crop (in the form of starch) which can have food and biofuel applications. In contrast to other starchy crops, sweet potato has an image of being a “marginal food” and an “underrated” crop with respect to research. In order to get insights into these underlying issues, Keith Fuglie, of the Resources and Rural Economics Division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), surveyed 36 knowledgeable scientists from 21 developing countries to get their perspectives on the constraints/priorities of small sweet potato growers in their respective countries. Survey results showed that major sweet potato growing regions have both common and region-specific priorities.  Among the common priorities are: control of viruses, improvement in availability/quality of planting material, and development of small enterprises for sweet potato processing. Region specific priorities include the development of high starch-yielding cultivars for China, and control of sweet potato weevil for sub-Saharan Africa. The study also highlighted the greater need for postharvest utilization of sweet potato.

In a related development on sweet potato research for biofuel applications, scientists from the North Carolina State University are developing high starch-containing sweet potatoes with an enzymatic “self-processing” ability to transform itself into a bioethanol-fermentation-ready material. These potatoes contain genes from deep sea bacteria which produce thermally stable starch hydolyzing enzymes. All that one has to do is to heat the potatoes, and the built in enzymes convert the starch to sugars ready for ethanol fermentation.

Related information
North Carolina State University’s Research on Sweet Potato Breeding for Biofuel Applications: http://www.ncsu.edu/research/results/vol12/6.html