Evaluation of seed types and cutting season for the sowing of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (l) lam, in the Xaribbean region of Colombia

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate different branch segments as a source of vegetative seed for sowing and the appropriate time for cutting these. Twelve treatments were evaluated. (apical, preapical, third and fourth section segment), with three cutting times (60, 90 and 120 days after planting), in a randomized complete block design, in divided plots, with three repetitions. Seed yield was similar in all treatments, with a general average of 98.73%. The types of segments signifi cantly affect performance, the apical (11,643.96 kg ha -1 ) and preapical (11,101.47 kg ha -1 ) being better than the others. The lowest yield was the fourth section (8,971.07 kg ha -1 ). The cutting time of sections did not affect the yields. However, 60 day cutting time and the apical section are the ones with the highest performance. Economically the best treatment was the apical section combination with a 60-day cut.