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Effect of Biocyclic Humus Soil on Yield and Quality Parameters of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.)

Authors:
Lydia Eisenbach at Agricultural University of Athens
Lydia Eisenbach
Antigolena Folina at Agricultural University of Athens
Antigolena Folina
Charikleia Zisi at Agricultural University of Athens
Charikleia Zisi
Ioannis Roussis at Agricultural University of Athens
Ioannis Roussis
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Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) at the Agricultural University of Athens during the growing summer season 2017 to evaluate the effects of biocyclic humus soil on plant growth, yield as well as chemical constituents and quality parameters. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications of three treatments (untreated, inorganic fertilizer and biocyclic humus soil). A two-leaf cutting was placed into the treated soil to make a sweet potato plant. The highest sweet potato yield was obtained by using biocyclic humus soil with average total yield (35.6 t/ha) and average marketable yield (24.3 t/ha). There were no statistically significant differences between the treatments for the compression (Max Load 0.622-0.780 kN) and the penetration (Max Load 0.0439-0.0447 kN) tests on sweet potato tubers. Furthermore, measurements were implemented for the total nitrogen content of tubers with no statistical significant differences between treatments. The big difference in yield between sweet potato grown in humus soil and sweet potato treated conventionally probably is related to the fact that the structure of soil which is a clay loam soil was too compact for the cultivation of sweet potato, a disadvantage which has been compensated by using humus soil as substrate while substituting soil.
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EFFECT OF BIOCYCLIC HUMUS SOIL ON IELD AND UALIT
ARAMETERS OF SWEET OTATO (Ipomoea batatas L.
Lia Drtea EISENBACH
1
, Antilena FOLINA
1
, Carileia ISI
1
, Iannis ROUSSIS
1
,
Ianna TABAI
1
, anaita AASTLIANOU
1
, I. KAKABOUKI
1
,
Aspasia EFTHIMIADOU
2
, Dimitris . BILALIS
1
1
Agricltral niersity o Atens, Scool o Agricltre, ngineering an nironmental
Sciences, Department o Crop Science, Laoratory o Agronomy, 75 Iera Oos Street,
118 55 Atens, reece
2
Institte o Soil Science, ellenic Agricltral Organiation-Demeter, 1 S. Venielo Street,
1123 Lycorissi, reece
Corresponing ator email ilalisimitriosgmail.gr
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) at the Agricultural University of Athens during
the growing summer season 2017 to evaluate the effects of biocyclic humus soil on plant growth, yield as well as
chemical constituents and quality parameters. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design (CRD)
with three replications of three treatments (untreated, inorganic fertilizer and biocyclic humus soil). A two-leaf cutting
was placed into the treated soil to make a sweet potato plant. The highest sweet potato yield was obtained by using
biocyclic humus soil with average total yield (35.6 t/ha) and average marketable yield (24.3 t/ha). There were no
statistically significant differences between the treatments for the compression (Max Load 0.622-0.780 kN) and the
penetration (Max Load 0.0439-0.0447 kN) tests on sweet potato tubers. Furthermore, measurements were implemented
for the total nitrogen content of tubers with no statistical significant differences between treatments. The big difference
in yield between sweet potato grown in humus soil and sweet potato treated conventionally probably is related to the
fact that the structure of soil which is a clay loam soil was too compact for the cultivation of sweet potato, a
disadvantage which has been compensated by using humus soil as substrate while substituting soil.
Key words: biocyclic humus soil, Biocyclic Vegan Standard, sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas L., productivity and
quality.
INTRODUCTION
e total gloal seet potato proction in
201 as more tan 105 million tonnes AO-
SA, 2018 it Cina aing te iggest
sare in proction aot . Cina an te
.S. are te astest groing eporters. og
seet potato is a traitional crop or many
contries o te orl Cina, Meico etc.
cltiation an consmption in ropean
contries ecame more poplar in te last
ecaes. Loeenstein, 2009. e ropean
proction is oere y or contries
Portgal, Spain, Italy an reece it a total
proction o 52 tosan o tonnes in 201. In
te same year ree seet potato proction
as 3,3 tosan tonnes cltiate in an area o
1 a AO-SA, 2018.
Seet potato origins are on in Central or
Nortestern Sot America e to te
occrrence o ropical orest root crop
agriculture (O’Brien, 1972). It as son tat
ater an analysis o seet potato genotypes it
RAPD marers te ispersal o seet potato
as een aciee more trog te
CentralCariean genopool ici et al.,
2003.
e scientiic name o seet potato is Ipomoea
batatas L. Lam an elongs to te
Conollaceae amily. Ipomoea batatas can
e aste in many climate ones sc as
arm mi tropics or mil s-temperate
ones also at an altite o 2000 meters. e
plant o seet potato preers a sany loam
gron an is cltiate oten on mons or
riges Lim, 201.
e eile parts o te seet potato plant are
te roots or ters t also te seet potato
leaes an green tips. Seet potato lor or
starc is also se as an ingreient or
Scientic Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXI, No. 1, 2018
ISSN 2285-5785; ISSN CD-ROM 2285-5793; ISSN Online 2285-5807; ISSN-L 2285-5785
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