Sweet benefits of sweet potato

Expert stresses need to integrate the tuber into cropping systems

Sweet potato, which helps to address hidden hunger and malnutrition in the developing world, can be integrated into diverse cropping systems and soil conditions, according to Jan Low, the 2016 World Food Prize laureate.

Delivering the lead talk at an international webinar on ‘Harnessing the potential of tropical tuber crops under changing climate’ that was organised by the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute here (CTCRI), she said that future breeding programmes for the orange-fleshed sweet potato should make an effort to target specific agro-ecologies and consumer segments.

She also stressed the need for researchers to understand water and land use efficiency and the contribution of root system architecture.

Participants

A.K. Singh, Deputy Director General (DDG), ICAR, inaugurated the webinar.

Arthur Villordon, Louisiana State University; Joy Adiele, National Root Crops Research Institute, Nigeria; Imran Malik, Cassava Production Systems Specialist, Lao PDR; Amele Asrat, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria; were the speakers.

CTCRI scientists C.A. Jayaprakas, M.N. Sheela, and M.L. Jeeva also spoke.