Sweetpotato in the Indian sub-continent

Abstract

Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. is widely grown in the tropics and warm temperate regions of the world. It is the third most important tuber crop in India after potato and cassava. The root tubers are mainly used as a subsidiary food. The crop is grown in all states of, India except the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Area under this crop is declining year after year due to less importance given to this crop in the programmes of department of Horticulture/Agriculture in many states. Industrially this crop is exploited very little. Even though technologies to produce many value added products from sweetpotato are available, diversification and value addition has not gained any momentum as understood from the surveys undertaken in the production centers of the crop.