Yield Comparison of Sweet Potato Grown in Four Commercial Organic Soils

Abstract

Aims: The experiment was conducted to observe the effects on comparative yields of sweet potato (Ipomea batatas ‘Beauregard’) grown in four different soilless media. Study Design:  Mention the design of the study here. Place and Duration of Study: Pullen Farm at Murray State University, in Murray, Kentucky, USA., between May 2018 and August 2018. Methodology: 16 3.048m x .3046m troughs (four of each treatment) each containing five sweet potato plants were established. No treatments received supplemental fertilization. Descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis were performed on yield characteristics of the sweet potato crop (sweet-potato tuber and biomass yields). Results: While a significant difference in mass of above-ground biomass between the treatments could not be determined, growth parameters of the Organiloc treatments (A, B) were marginally greater than treatments C and D (Table 1). The fresh weight of treatments A (38.91 t ha-1) and B (42.75 t ha-1) were statistically greater than treatment C (21.23 t ha-1). Treatment B was also statistically greater that treatment D (23.92 t ha-1). The number of tubers in treatment A and B were not significantly different than treatment D, but were significantly greater than treatment C (Fig. 2). Conclusion: The results of this one cropping season study suggest that yields of sweet potatoes grown in these two biochar-based treatments (A + B), in which they were statistically greater than the Miracle Gro treatment (C), and Treatment B was statistically greater than the Magic Dirt treatment (D), may help to fulfill the increasing demand for locally-produced food and agricultural products while providing an efficient means of disposing of agricultural waste products and may promote sustainable crop production and food security.