The Evaluation of Growth Performance of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea Batatas L.) Awassa Var. by Using Different Type of Vine Cuttings

Abstract

Sweet potato is commonly grown from small tubers and vegetative by vine cutting is common phenomena to get good growth performance of it before planting. A study was conducted to evaluation of the growth performance of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus L.) by using different types of vine cuttings in 2016 at Wolaita Sodo collage of Agriculture and Department of Horticulture. It was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications and three treatments of vine cutngs of length (25cm) each were used. Data collected on growth parameters were analyzed using SAS version 9.2.The study objective was to find out the best vine cutting type for Awassa variety for production of sweet potato under Wolaita climatic condition. The growth parameters soft wood cuttings was preferable, early and late days of leave initiation (25.21, (11.58) recorded soft wood and hard wood cutting respectively. The investigation indicated that soft wood cutting of sweet potato vines were accelerate rate of leave initiation after planting than the other ones. There was very highly significance leaf number between all treatment according to analysis of variance. Highest (135.07) and lowest (68.28) number of leaves was observed in the treatment with soft and hard wood cuttings respectively. Leave diameter (8.02 and 4.98) at soft wood and hard wood vines cuttings respectively. With the same treatment the number of branches were affected the highest  and lowest number of primary branches (6.25 and 1.93)  soft and hard wood cuttings while the higher and lower(38.35 and 11.12) secondary branches was the same effect as the rest vine cuttings with soft wood and semi hard wood cuttings of sweet potatoes showed wider canopy (127.91 and 65.86) and hard wood cuttings showed narrower canopy(18.20).Analysis of  variance for branch number was indicated highly significantly different between treatment at probability level 50% The highest plant height (71.108) was obtained at the by soft wood cutting and highly significant from semi hard wood and hard wood cuttings. The calculated coefficient of variation (Cv%)  indicated there  was relatively high significant difference among all parameters (CV>10) except for the  days of leaf initiation. Number of leaves and leaf diameter (CV<10) on the other hand the shorts plant height (24.175) was observed from hard wood cuttings. The highest root volume (28.83) was observed at the soft wood cutting while the lowest canopy width (14.56)  was recorded at the third treatment of hard wood cuttings case plant circumference the highest (34.64) and 16.91) was recorded at soft and hard wood cuttings respectively.

Keywords: Sweet Potato, Cuttings, Verities, Wolaita