ABSTRACT
USDA, ARS, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, 430 W. Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA 95616.
Email: betty.burri@ars.usda.gov
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a tuber with white or purple fl owers and green or purple leaves. It can be white, cream, yellow, orange, or purple (Woolfe 1992, Bovell-Benjamin 2007). Orange, white and cream are the most commonly grown and eaten (Sandhill Preservation Center 2012). In parts of Africa, Asia, and the Pacifi c sweet potatoes are an important staple crop (Woolfe 1992, Bovell-Benjamin 2007). Sweet potatoes grow well in hot, humid climates, but they need a rather long growing season (90 to 150 frost-free days; Bovell-Benjamin 2007). Sweet potatoes normally fl ower in summer and fruit in late summer and fall.
