ABSTRACT
Developing new sweet potato varieties with improved performance Peng Zhang, Weijuan Fan, Hongxia Wang, Yinliang Wu and Wenzhi Zhou, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; and Jun Yang, Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, China
1 Introduction
2 Genetic transformation of sweet potato from model cultivars to farmer-preferred cultivars
3 Production of disease-resistant sweet potato
4 Production of sweet potato resistant to abiotic stresses
5 Starch modification for industrial applications
6 Increased understanding of storage root development for better yield
7 Production of purple sweet potato with increased anthocyanin content
8 Conclusion and perspectives
9 Where to look for further information
10 Acknowledgements
11 References
Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., plays an important role in food security and nutritional improvement as well as serving as a raw material in the processing of feeds, starches and bioethanol in various industries (Antonio et al., 2011; Bovell-Benjamin, 2007; Mukhopadhyay et al., 2011). It is the fifth most important food crop in terms of fresh weight. More than 130 million tons are produced every year, with China accounting for approximately 72% of world’s production and more than 40% of the global harvested area (FAO, 2011). Nearly half of the sweet potatoes produced in Asia are used for animal feed, with the remainder primarily used for human consumption. Africa is the second largest sweet-potato-producing region, with almost 17% of the world’s production and more than 42% of the world's area, mainly for human consumption. Latin America, the original home
of the sweet potato, produces only 1.9 million tons annually. In addition to China, other regions that consider sweet potato a major crop include Cuba and Haiti in the Caribbean region; Java (Indonesia), the island of New Guinea (both in Indonesia and in Papua New Guinea), and Vietnam in Asia; and Africa, particularly in the Lake Victoria area (Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo), Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Madagascar (Liu et al., 2014a). Sweet potato is enriched with carbohydrates, vitamins and other micronutrients, especially the yellow-orange-fleshed varieties provide particularly high quantities of vitamins A and C (Bovell-Benjamin, 2007). The leaves can also be used as vegetable as they provide additional protein, vitamins and minerals (Islam, 2006).
