Morphological characterization and plant density of Brazilian ornamental sweet potatoes

Abstract

The production of flowers and ornamental plants has shown continuous growth and demanded constant innovations in the sector. The sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is a tuberous vegetable that has attracted consumers, growers and landscapers due to its ornamental characteristics of its leaves and vines. However, the introduction of sweetpotatoes for ornamental purposes is recent in the Brazilian market. The objective of this study was to investigate the ornamental potential of five sweetpotato genotypes (IAC104, IAC116, IAC401, IAC909 and IAC1024), through morphological characterization, in addition to evaluating the effect of plant density per pot (1, 2 and 3 plants per pot) on the development of the aerial part and storage roots. The genotypes IAC116, IAC401 and IAC909 showed characteristics of erect and compact plants, while IAC401 and IAC1024 were classified as semi-erect, with only IAC1024 showing a twining vine. The density of plants per pot significantly influenced both the number and the fresh matter storage roots per pot but did not effect significant difference on the fresh matter of the aerial part. As a result of this study, the first five ornamental sweetpotato cultivars in Brazil were registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), named 'IAC Claudia', 'IAC Katherine', 'IAC Mara', 'IAC Mônica' and 'IAC Yoka', with registration numbers 51087, 51090, 51091, 51092 and 51093, respectively.

Keywords

• Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.
• ornamental plant
• potted plant
• floriculture
• landscape