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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424151
Research Project: Basic and Applied Approaches for Pest Management in Vegetable Crops

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: Evaluating diverse sweetpotato breeding lines in western Washington

Author
item WHITE, JORDAN - Washington State University
item SCHULZ, LAURA - Washington State University
item Wadl, Phillip
item MILES, CAROL - Washington State University

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2025
Publication Date: 7/29/2025
Citation: White, J., Schulz, L., Wadl, P.A., Miles, C. 2025. Evaluating diverse sweetpotato breeding lines in western Washington. HortScience. https://doi.org/journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/60/7S/article-pS1.xml.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) cultivars are the most popular type of sweetpotatoes grown in the United States, while elsewhere in the world, white, yellow, and purple-fleshed types with firm, dry texture are more popular. There is a market opportunity in the United States for a diversity of sweetpotato cultivars, however, their yield tends to be low as they have not received the same breeding attention as orange-fleshed cultivars. In this experiment, six advanced breeding lines from the USDA, representing a diversity of flesh colors, textures, sweetness, and firmness, were compared to cvs. Covington (standard) and Cascade (new release). The experiment was carried out in a certified organic field in Mount Vernon, WA in 2024 and is being repeated in 2025. Each plot included 15 plants with 4 replicate blocks. In 2024, sweetpotatoes were planted on 4 June in raised beds covered with black polyethylene mulch and with drip irrigation. Harvest was by hand on 7 Oct., roots were sorted by size, and wireworm damage, the most significant insect pest impacting sweetpotatoes in this region, was assessed using the WDS severity index. Without accounting for wireworm damage, ‘Covington’ (orange, soft flesh) had the highest yield (US No. 1 and US No. 2) (18.2 t.ha-1) followed by USDA-22-009 (13.8 t.ha-1, yellow, flesh). ‘Cascade’ (white, firm flesh) had low yield (6.7 t.ha-1), followed by purple-fleshed breeding lines USDA-17-090 (4.1 t.ha-1) and USDA-16-051 (3.1 t.ha-1). Orange-fleshed breeding lines USDA-16-031 (3.8 t.ha-1) and USDA-19-036 (1.7 t.ha-1) and yellow-fleshed USDA-23-039 (0.5 t.ha-1) all had low yield. Cascade had the lowest wireworm severity rating (1.61) followed by USDA-16-051 (2.33), while ‘Covington’ and USDA-22-009 had the highest ratings (3.67 and 3.54, respectively). The breeding lines USDA-16-031, USDA-17-090, USDA-19-036, and USDA-23-039 had similar ratings, ranging from 2.83 to 3.39. While yields of ‘Cascade’ (white, firm flesh) and USDA-16-051 (purple flesh) were less than ‘Covington’, farmers may be interested in growing these niche cultivars for their wireworm resistance and to cater to consumer interests.