Growth and production of several sweet potato genotypes (Ipomoea batatas L.) on various watering levels in rainfed paddy fields

Abstract

Watering using 3 levels of watering is able to increase production and plant growth, specifically on suboptimal lands. This research aim was to determine the growth and production of several sweet potato genotypes (Beta 1 varieties with orange tuber, Perbaungan Accession with orange tuber and Cengkeh Turi Accession with yellow tuber) on various levels of watering with 3 levels: very limited watering (watering up to 1 month, intervals 10 days), limited watering (watering up to 2 months, intervals 10 days) and optimum watering (watering up to 4 months, intervals 10 days) in rainfed paddy field. This research was conducted in the paddy fields of Tandem Hilir I Village, Deli Serdang on April-July 2019. The results of this research represent that local sweet potato genotypes have good production and growth responses in paddy field cultivation. Perbaungan accessions with orange tuber and Cengkeh Turi Accession with yellow tuber obtained the highest tuber length, tuber diameter, average tuber weight and harvest index compared to other genotypes. Application of watering with 3 levels in paddy fields proved not real on all observation parameters. Watering with 3 levels is best at limited watering (watering up to 2 months).