Agronomic performance of experimental sweet potato genotypes in crop seasonsABSTRACT
In this study we evaluated the agronomic performance of 18 experimental sweet potato genotypes with white and cream flesh, along with three commercial controls, across six crop seasons in São Paulo. The crops were planted on six different dates, each associated with a season, and the trials assessed yield, quality of storage roots, considering attributes related to appearance and market standards, and resistance to insect pests. The top-performing genotypes varied by season: UBD-K-55 excelled in the June 05, 2020 (fall-winter) crop, UBD-K-39 in the October 09, 2020 (spring-summer) crop, and UBD-C-06 in the December 10, 2020 (spring-summer-fall) crop. UBD-K-39 and 'Ligeirinha Paulista' performed best in the January 29, 2021 (summer-fall) crop, while multiple genotypes stood out in the April 23, 2021 (fall-winter) crop. Finally, UBD-C-06 and UBD-C-12 showed high yields in the May 20, 2021 (fall-winter-spring) crop. Overall, the experimental genotypes UBD-C-06, UBD-K-39, and UBD-K-55 demonstrated adaptability to the region's conditions, with high productivity, quality, and pest resistance, indicating their promise for year-round cultivation.
Keyword:
Ipomoea batatas; genotype x environment interaction; tuberous root production; genotype selection
RESUMO
Neste estudo avaliou-se o desempenho agronômico de 18 genótipos experimentais de batata-doce com polpa branca e creme, juntamente com três controles comerciais, ao longo de seis safras em São Paulo. As culturas foram plantadas em seis datas diferentes, cada uma associada a uma estação, e os ensaios avaliaram produtividade, qualidade comercial das raízes tuberosas, considerando atributos relacionados à aparência e ao padrão de comercialização e resistência a insetos-praga. Os genótipos de melhor desempenho variaram conforme a estação: UBD-K-55 foi melhor na safra de 05/06/2020 (outono-inverno), UBD-K-39 na safra de 09/10/2020 (primavera-verão) e UBD-C-06 na safra de 10/12/2020 (primavera-verão-outono). UBD-K-39 e 'Ligeirinha Paulista' tiveram melhor desempenho na safra de 29/01/2021 (verão-outono), enquanto vários genótipos foram melhores na safra de 23/04/2021 (outono-inverno). Por fim, UBD-C-06 e UBD-C-12 tiveram altos rendimentos na safra de 20/05/2021 (outono-inverno-primavera). No geral, os genótipos experimentais UBD-C-06, UBD-K-39 e UBD-K-55 demonstraram adaptabilidade às condições da região, com alta produtividade, qualidade e resistência a pragas, indicando seu potencial para cultivo durante todo o ano.
Palavras-chave:
Ipomoea batatas; interação genótipo x ambiente; produção de raízes tuberosas; seleção de genótipos
Among root crops, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) holds significant socioeconomic importance due to its wide climatic adaptation and high energy production capability in a short period (Minh et al., 2025). It ranks as the seventh most important food crop globally, playing a crucial role in the global food system by meeting the demands for nutritious food, reducing poverty, and enhancing food security (Truong et al., 2018; Zeist et al., 2022).
In Brazil, the harvested area of sweet potato in 2023 was 56 thousand hectares with an average yield of 14.6 tons per hectare (Perrud et al., 2024). However, this productivity is considered low when compared to other countries such as China, which produces an average of 22.38 tons per hectare, and Japan, which produces 22.31 tons per hectare (FAOSTAT, 2023). The state of São Paulo is the second-largest producer of sweet potato in Brazil, and Presidente Prudente is the main producing microregion, with a yield of 17.60 tons per hectare (Oliveira et al., 2022). Despite being a national reference in sweet potato cultivation (Mello et al., 2021; Perrud et al., 2024), Presidente Prudente still faces low yields. These aspects are caused by the lack of cultivation techniques, cultivation areas infested with pests and diseases, and the use of obsolete and degenerated genetic materials (Gonzalez et al., 2025; Leal et al., 2024).
Sweet potato is the only hexaploid species with 90 chromosomes (small forms - 0.8-2.0 μm), and complex genome (2n = 6x = 90) (Zeist et al., 2024). Due to its high ploidy level, there is a wide genetic diversity within the species of the Convolvulaceae family (Yan et al., 2022). These aspects of genetic divergence are of great importance to breeding programs, and it is essential to evaluate and select genotypes so that the existing variability can contribute to the development of new cultivars (Swanckaert et al., 2021; Junior et al., 2025).
Additionally, it is known that white or cream-fleshed sweet potatoes are the most cultivated in Brazil (Oliveira et al., 2022), and consequently, they are the most sought after and consumed (Leal et al., 2021). Despite being an important crop for the country, sweet potatoes are still poorly studied, especially for the development of new productive cultivars adapted to different regions (Cartabiano-Leite et al., 2020). Thus, the selection of genotypes adapted to environmental conditions and different cultivation systems is essential (Zeist et al., 2025). The main commercial product of sweet potato is its tuberous roots, and it is crucial that the genetic material exhibits not only high productivity but also resistance to soil insect pests and commercially acceptable root shapes (Cartabiano-Leite et al., 2020). In this context, the researchers of this work started a sweet potato breeding program in 2019. As female parents, 'Ligeirinha Paulista', 'Canadense', and 'Keity' were used, and they were crossed with 21 other genotypes in polycross blocks, resulting in approximately 1500 genotypes. From this selection, 18 genotypes with white and cream flesh color were chosen as potentially superior.
Due to the staggered cultivation of sweet potatoes in the Western São Paulo region and the lack of productive and adapted genotypes to the local edaphoclimatic conditions, the crop yields are low. Therefore, the emergence and availability of new genotypes that are adapted to the local edaphoclimatic conditions, with productive potential, and resistant to pests and diseases, are crucial steps to strengthen sweet potato cultivation in the region. Considering the above information, the objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of experimental genotypes of white and cream-fleshed sweet potatoes in terms of root yield, quality based on attributes related to appearance and market standards, and resistance to insect pest in Presidente Prudente-SP.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Plant material and experimental design
The experiments were conducted in the experimental area of the Center for Studies in Olericulture and Fruiticulture of the Western São Paulo University - Unoeste, Campus II (22º07''S, 51º21''W, altitude of 430 m). According to the Köppen classification, the climate is of the Cwa type, with an average annual temperature of 25ºC and an average annual precipitation of 1400 to 1500 mm, characterized by two distinct periods: a rainy period from October to March and a low rainfall period from April to September.
The experiments were conducted in six cultivation periods: June 5, 2020 (autumn-winter cycle) with irrigation, October 9, 2020 (spring-summer cycle) with irrigation, December 10, 2020 (spring-summer-autumn cycle) without irrigation, January 29, 2021 (summer-autumn cycle) without irrigation, April 23, 2021 (autumn-winter cycle) with irrigation, and May 20, 2021 (autumn-winter-spring cycle) with irrigation. In the irrigated periods, water availability was provided according to the crop's needs. Throughout the crop cycle, daily data on average, maximum, and minimum air temperatures, as well as precipitation (mm), were collected from the meteorological station of the Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Campus II, located in Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil (Figure 1).
Illustrative figure with the precipitation (mm), average, maximum, and minimum air temperatures during the cultivation cycles. (A) June 5, 2020, (B) October 9, 2020, (C) December 10, 2020, (D) January 29, 2021, (E) April 23, 2021, and (F) May 20, 2021. Presidente Prudente, Universidade do Oeste Paulista, 2020-2021.
A total of eighteen experimental genotypes of white and cream-fleshed sweet potatoes and three commercial controls were evaluated (Table 1).
A total of eighteen experimental genotypes of sweet potatoes, along with the commercial controls UBD-06 (Canadian standard), INIA Arapey, and Ligeirinha Paulista, were evaluated. Both the experimental genotypes and the commercial controls have white/cream flesh and reddish-purple skin. An experimental design with randomized complete blocks was adopted. Each experimental unit consisted of 10 plants, spaced at 0.33 m x 1.00 m (between plants within each row and between rows, respectively), and the evaluations were conducted on the six central plants. The experimental plots were composed of two rows, each 0.8 m in height, 3 m in length, and spaced at 1.00 m, with a total area of 6.0 m² and a useful area of 2.0 m².
For planting, selected and standardized cuttings (approximately 0.30 m in length) were used from the Germplasm Bank of the University of Western São Paulo, obtained from plants maintained in a maintenance nursery. Cultural practices, liming, and base and topdressing fertilization were carried out according to crop recommendations and based on soil chemical analysis (Echer et al., 2015; Cordeiro et al., 2023). The soil chemical attributes of the experimental area in Presidente Prudente were as follows: pH (CaCl₂, 1 mol/L) 5.3; organic matter 8.8 g/dm³; P (resin) 9.5 mg/dm³; H + Al 19 mmolc/dm³; K 2.0 mmolc/dm³; Ca 7.0 mmolc/dm³; Mg 3.8 mmolc/dm³; sum of bases (SB) 12.1 mmolc/dm³; cation exchange capacity (CEC) 32.4 mmolc/dm³; and base saturation 35.3%.
Skin color (SC), flesh color (FC), and root shape (RS) of experimental genotypes (UBD) and commercial controls (Canadian standard, INIA Arapey and Ligeirinha Paulista) of sweet potatoes. Presidente Prudente, Universidade do Oeste Paulista, 2020-2021.
Evaluation of candidate genotypes
The harvests were performed out approximately 150 days after planting the cuttings. The evaluated parameters were: total tuberous root yield (TTRV) in t/ha; total commercial tuberous root yield (TCTRV) in t/ha, obtained by weighing on a precision balance of 0.01 g, considering tuberous roots weighing over 100 g, without cracks, deformations, and greening (Oliveira et al., 2022); total number of commercial tuberous roots (TNCT) in u/ha; average weight of commercial tuberous roots (PMRTC) in g; appearance of tuberous roots (AP) was visually evaluated considering the overall uniformity of all tuberous roots produced per plant, based on external morphological attributes such as shape uniformity, presence of veins, and occurrence of cracks, using a five-point rating scale adapted from Toroco et al. (2023): 1 - out of standard, with very irregular shape, presence of large veins, and deep cracks, 2 - very non-uniform, with presence of large veins and cracks, 3 - non-uniform, with veins and cracks, 4 - slightly non-uniform with presence of veins, and 5 - regular fusiform shape, without veins and cracks. Resistance to insect pests (RIP) was determined based on the number of holes in the roots, using a three-grade scale: 5 - undamaged roots, with no visible holes; 3 - slightly damaged roots, presenting up to five holes; and 1 - heavily damaged roots, presenting more than five holes.
Statistical analysis
The data were tested for normality of errors and homogeneity of residual variances using Lilliefors and Bartlett tests, respectively, and subsequently subjected to individual and joint analysis of variance, considering the fixed model for genotypes and random model for dates. The means were subjected to Scott-Knott mean grouping test at 5% probability. These analyses were performed using the Genes program (Cruz, 2016).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Based on the results obtained, we noted that there was a significant interaction between genotypes and cultivation periods for total tuberous root yield (TTRV), total commercial tuberous root yield (TCTRV), total number of commercial tuberous roots (TNCT), and appearance of tuberous roots (AP). For the parameters average weight of commercial tuberous roots (PMRTC) and resistance to insect pests (RIP), there was a significant difference among genotypes for the cultivation periods independently.
Genotypes UBD-K-55 and UBD-L1-04 showed superior results compared to other genotypes on the cultivation date of June 05, 2020 for TTRV, with 43.50 t/ha and 41.25 t/ha, respectively. However, only genotype UBD-K-55 stood out for TCTRV with a yield of 41.50 t/ha (Tables 2 and 3). On the cultivation date of October 09, 2020, genotypes UBD-K-39 and UBD-L1-04 obtained superior results for TTRV, with yields of 75.81 t/ha and 74.60 t/ha, respectively. For TCTRV, only genotype UBD-K-39 demonstrated superiority with a yield of 50.00 t/ha (Tables 2 and 3).
The highest TNCT on the cultivation date of June 05, 2020 was from genotype UBD-L4-70 with 85,000 u/ha, and on the cultivation date of October 09, 2020, it was from genotype UBD-L2-19 with 192,500 u/ha (Table 3). During these cultivation periods, irrigation was employed, and higher yields were observed for most genotypes on the cultivation date of October 09, 2020, which had higher precipitation (mm) and average air temperatures around 25°C (Figure 1). In this period, genotypes presumed to be more adapted to the cultivation conditions expressed their productive potential better. According to Guo et al. (2022), the ideal temperature for root growth and crop development is around 25°C. Similar results to this study were observed by Carmona et al. (2015) when evaluating genotypes with irrigation in Brasília-DF in September, where the commercial root productivity ranged from 1.31 to 47.12 t/ha.
Total production of commercial tuberous roots (TCTRV) and total number of commercial tuberous roots (TNCT) of experimental genotypes of white-fleshed and cream-fleshed sweet potato, cultivated in six planting seasons in the Western Paulista region. Presidente Prudente, Universidade do Oeste Paulista, 2020-2021.
In this study, in the cultivation without irrigation on December 12, 2020, we observed that the genotypes that stood out for TTRV were UBD-L1-04, UBD-C-06, and UBD-L1-17 with yields of 52.53 t/ha, 50.50 t/ha, and 48.05 t/ha, respectively. However, only genotype UBD-C-06 stood out among the others for TCTRV with a yield of 47.78 t/ha (Tables 2 and 3). On the cultivation date of January 29, 2021, also without irrigation, the genotypes that stood out for TTRV were UBD-L3-60, UBD-K-39, UBD-L1-04, 'Ligeirinha Paulista', and UBD-L4-70 with yields of 22.20 t/ha, 21.48 t/ha, 20.50 t/ha, 19.85 t/ha, and 18.92 t/ha, respectively. Among these genotypes, only UBD-L1-04 did not stand out for TCTRV, while the others did, with UBD-L3-60 at 17.31 t/ha, UBD-K-39 at 17.10 t/ha, 'Ligeirinha Paulista' at 15.33 t/ha, and UBD-L1-17 at 13.71 t/ha, respectively (Tables 2 and 3).
In the cultivation on December 10, 2020, the highest TNCT was from genotype UBD-C-06 with 166,666 u/ha, and in the cultivation on January 29, 2021, it was from genotype UBD-K-39 with 103,333 u/ha (Table 3). Previously, according to Perrud et al. (2024), the water requirement during the crop cycle is 500 mm, which may explain the low productivities in the cultivation without irrigation on January 29, 2021, where there was a rainfall of 433.8 mm and irregular distribution of rains (Figure 1), not reaching the minimum amount of water needed for the proper development of the crop. However, it was observed that in the cultivation without irrigation on October 12, 2020, during the crop cycle, there was a rainfall of 755.0 mm and average air temperatures around 25°C, resulting in high yields for some genotypes (Figure 1). Results lower than the ones obtained in this study were observed by Azevedo et al. (2015), evaluating sweet potato genotypes without irrigation in Diamantina-MG with planting in December, where they found low commercial root productivity ranging from 2.23 to 13.92 t/ha.
In the autumn-winter cultivation on April 23, 2021, only genotype UBD-L2-19 showed a superior result to the other genotypes for TTRV with a yield of 51.54 t/ha. However, for TCTRV, the genotypes that stood out were the commercial control 'Ligeirinha Paulista', UBD-C-06, UBD-C-12, UBD-K-39, and UBD-K-55, with yields of 24.96 t/ha, 24.21 t/ha, 22.62 t/ha, 21.24 t/ha, and 20.10 t/ha, respectively (Tables 2 and 3). On the cultivation date of May 20, 2021, the genotypes that obtained the best results for TTRV were UBD-L4-70, UBD-C-06, 'INIA Arapey', and UBD-L2-19, with yields of 30.90 t/ha, 29.92 t/ha, 27.16 t/ha, and 26.59 t/ha, respectively. Among these genotypes, only UBD-L2-19 did not stand out for TCTRV, while the others did, with UBD-C-06 at 24.12 t/ha, 'INIA Arapey' at 20.64 t/ha, UBD-L4-70 at 19.57 t/ha, UBD-L3-50 at 20.70 t/ha, and UBD-C-12 at 19.36 t/ha, respectively (Tables 2 and 3). The genotype that obtained the highest TNCT was the commercial control 'Ligeirinha Paulista' with 130.000 u in the cultivation on April 23, 2021 and 135,000 u/ha in the cultivation on May 20, 2021 (Table 3).
In these cultivation dates, the lowest air temperatures were observed (Figure 1), and consequently, the lowest yields (Tables 2 and 3). When temperatures below 15°C and above 35°C occur during the sweet potato cycle, root growth is halted, affecting the crop's development (Sapakhova et al., 2023; Gonzalez et al., 2025).
Results obtained in this study demonstrated the high productive potential of some experimental genotypes compared to the controls in the cultivation dates of June 05, 2020, October 10, 2020, and December 10, 2020 (Tables 2 and 3). For over a decade, the predominant genotypes in the Western region of São Paulo have been 'Canadense', 'INIA Arapey', and 'Ligeirinha Paulista'. However, these genotypes are not commercially registered with the Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA). Consequently, due to not being registered in Brazil, the availability of virus-free plantings becomes difficult for farmers, leading to the use of unhealthy materials and resulting in low yields. As sweet potato is propagated vegetatively, successive cultivations increase the incidence of virus-infected plants, leading to drastic decreases in productivity (Zhang et al., 2020; Buko et al., 2024; Vargas et al., 2025). It is common to find the same plant material being used in Western São Paulo fields for consecutive cultivations, sometimes exceeding 10 years.
Higher TTRV and TCTRV were obtained when cultivation was carried out during periods with higher average air temperatures and sufficient water availability for the proper development of the crop (Figure 1). Sweet potato requires relatively high temperatures, high luminosity, long photoperiod, and sufficient soil moisture (Afzal et al., 2021). Although sweet potato has some tolerance to water deficit, good water availability favors crop productivity, increases photosynthesis, and leads to higher carbohydrate production used for the development of tuberous roots (Low et al., 2020; Kunz et al., 2024). Simultaneously, sweet potato thrives better when the average temperature is above 24ºC and there is high-quality luminosity during the crop cycle (Vilete et al., 2020).
Indeed, sweet potato exhibits high genetic diversity, which can result in differences in plant growth and tuberous root development (Luo et al., 2023). Therefore, when different experimental genotypes are tested, variations in productivity and phenotypic performance are expected under the specific edaphoclimatic conditions of a particular region where they are evaluated.
For PMRTC, differences among genotypes were observed only in the cultivation on June 05, 2020 and Janury 29. 2021. The average weight of sweet potato roots most valued by the consumer market and preferred by the export market falls within the range of 300 to 450 g (Perrud et al., 2021). Accordingly, the genotypes that stood out in the cultivation on June 05, 2020, considering both the PMRTC and TCTRV parameters, were UBD-C-12, UBD-K-55, and the commercial standard 'canadense' UBD-06, with 340.8 g, 307.4 g, and 333.6 g, respectively (Table 4). We also observed that in the cultivation on January 29, 2021, the commercial standard 'Ligeirinha Paulista' produced roots with the highest average weight of 691.1 g (Table 4). This result is related to the more favorable environmental conditions observed during this cultivation period, particularly temperature and water availability, which directly influenced root development and biomass accumulation (Figure 1) (Zeist et al., 2022; Perrud et al., 2024).
Regarding appearance, significant differences were observed in all cultivation periods and among genotypes. Notably, some genotypes showed superior performance compared to the commercial controls. The genotypes UBD-L5-39, UBD-K-39, and the commercial control 'Ligeirinha Paulista' stood out, showing consistent results in all cultivation periods (Table 5). Appearance is a relevant parameter and an important qualitative characteristic in identifying superior genotypes. Consumers often prefer sweet potatoes that are smoother and elongated in shape (Leal et al., 2021; Junior et al., 2025).
Regarding RIP (resistance to insect pests), there was no significant difference among the genotypes in the cultivation periods of June 05, 2020, January 29, 2021, and May 20, 2021. UBD-L5-39 was found to be the genotype with the least damage caused by soil arthropod pests, demonstrating resistance to them (Table 5). However, this genotype obtained very low averages in TTRV and TCTRV compared to the others (Tables 2 and 3).
In our study, higher incidence of root weevil attack (Euscepes postfasciatus) was observed in the genotypes UBD-L4-52, UBD-C-12, and the commercial control 'INIA Arapey' during the cultivation in October 10, 2020, which causes perforations in the roots, affecting their appearance and quality. In the other cultivation periods, most genotypes demonstrated resistance to this pest, which is of great importance for reducing the use of chemical insecticides, lowering production costs, and contributing to human health and the environment.
Indeed, some genotypes were considered resistant to soil insect pests but obtained low root yields. These genotypes can still be valuable for breeding programs with the aim of increasing the frequency of favorable alleles or exploring heterosis. In sweet potato, among the existing breeding techniques, policross followed by recurrent selection cycles is commonly employed (Rosero et al., 2023).
The differences observed in the parameters of appearance and resistance to soil insect pests among the genotypes may be related to their genetic characteristics, explaining why some genotypes express these traits more prominently than others (Vilete et al., 2020). As a result, genotypes that received higher scores for appearance and resistance to insect pests may be more appealing to the consumer market (Oliveira et al., 2022; Perrud et al., 2024). Breeding for improved appearance and resistance to pests can lead to the development of sweet potato varieties that are not only productive but also visually appealing and less susceptible to pests (Lindqvist-Kreuze et al., 2024).
Based on the above results, we note that there are significant differences among the genotypes as well as among the evaluated cultivation seasons, indicating the presence of genotype-environment interaction. The significance of this interaction is crucial for identifying promising genotypes adapted to specific environments. Among the genotypes evaluated, only UBD-K-39 demonstrated greater adaptability across all cultivation seasons, achieving TCTRV values of at least 17.10 t/ha in all seasons and a mean of 25.04 t/ha for all six cultivation seasons. These results surpass both the regional average of 17.10 t/ha and the national average of 14.25 t/ha (Oliveira et al., 2022).
Additionally, the UBD-K-39 genotype showed superior adaptability compared to the other genotypes during the spring-summer, summer-autumn, and autumn-winter cultivation cycles, indicating its potential to contribute to increased regional and national productivity levels (Table 3). Upon analyzing the results obtained from this study, it became evident that some genotypes demonstrated superiority over the control groups in all evaluated parameters during certain cultivation seasons. As a result, these genotypes have the potential to be made available to farmers, better meeting their needs and meeting the demands of the consumer market.
In the current study, which considers all six cultivation seasons and all explored parameters, the experimental genotypes of sweet and cream-fleshed sweet potatoes, namely UBD-C-06, UBD-K-39, and UBD-K-55, have shown promise for cultivation in the Presidente Prudente region of São Paulo. These genotypes exhibited good yield and root quality, potentially contributing to the strengthening of sweet potato production in the western region of São Paulo.
Acknowledgements:
The authors thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001.
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Data availability
Data will be made available upon request to the corresponding author.
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Consent for publication:
All authors allow Horticultura Brasileira to publish the manuscript.
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Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process:
The authors declare that they did not use artificial intelligence tools.
Data will be made available upon request to the corresponding author.
