Influence of Vine Pruning Level and Varieties on Growth and Yield of Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) at Wondo Genet, Southern Ethiopia

The experiment was conducted during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons at Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center (WGARC). Four levels of vine pruning expressed by percentage (0, 25, 50, and 75) with two newly released varieties of orange fleshed sweet potato (Alamura and Kabode) were used. The experiment was arranged in a 2x4 factorial combination using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. All necessary data were collected and analyzed using SAS software version 9.4. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there was a highly significant (P≤0.01) interaction differences of varieties and pruning levels for plant height, root length, root weight per plant and root yield per hectare. The analysis of variance showed the presence of significant differences (p≤0.05) among tested varieties for plant height, root diameter, root yield per hectare, and root dry matter content. The highest root yield was obtained from Kabode (36.41 t ha-1) variety pruned at 50% level, followed by Alamura variety (32.50 t ha-1) at 50% pruning level while Alamura variety pruned at 75% level gave the lowest root yield of 21.33 t ha-1. On the other hand, the highest vine yield (25.38 t ha-1) was recorded from Alamura variety pruned at 50% level, while the lowest vine yield (11.09 t ha-1) was obtained from un pruned Kabode variety, which was not statistically different from the vine obtained from this variety pruned at 75% level. Therefore, for both varieties, vine pruning at 50% level was recommended for the highest root and vine yield as a dual-purpose crop.

Keywords:Dry matter content; Genetic variation; Photosynthesis; Root yield; Vine management; Vine yield