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Optimising plant bed performance through adaptive research with the Australian sweetpotato industry

journal contribution
posted on 2023-02-20, 01:08 authored by C Henderson, S Dennien, R Langenbaker, Philip BrownPhilip Brown, Talitha BestTalitha Best, E Coleman, M Prichard, AQ Villordon
© ISHS. A key driver of Australian sweetpotato productivity improvements and consumer demand has been industry adoption of disease-free planting material systems. On a farm isolated from main Australian sweetpotato areas, virus-free germplasm is annually multiplied, with subsequent 'pathogen-tested' (PT) sweetpotato roots shipped to commercial Australian sweetpotato growers. They in turn plant their PT roots into specially designated plant beds, commencing in late winter. From these beds, they cut sprouts as the basis for their commercial fields. Along with other intense agronomic practices, this system enables Australian producers to achieve world's highest commercial yields (per hectare) of premium sweetpotatoes. Their industry organisation, ASPG (Australian Sweetpotato Growers Inc.), has identified productivity of mother plant beds as a key driver of crop performance. Growers and scientists are currently collaborating to investigate issues such as catastrophic plant beds losses; optimisation of irrigation and nutrient addition; rapidity and uniformity of initial plant bed harvests; optimal plant bed harvest techniques; virus re-infection of plant beds; and practical longevity of plant beds. A survey of 50 sweetpotato growers in Queensland and New South Wales identified a substantial diversity in current plant bed systems, apparently influenced by growing district, scale of operation, time of planting, and machinery/labour availability. Growers identified key areas for plant bed research as: optimising the size and grading specifications of PT roots supplied for the plant beds; change in sprout density, vigour and performance through sequential cuttings of the plant bed; optimal height above ground level to cut sprouts to maximise commercial crop and plant bed performance; and use of structures and soil amendments in plant bed systems. Our ongoing multi-disciplinary research program integrates detailed agronomic experiments, grower adaptive learning sites, product quality and consumer research, to enhance industry capacity for inspired innovation and commercial, sustainable practice change.

Funding

Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)

History

Volume

1118

Issue

1118

Start Page

103

End Page

108

Number of Pages

5

eISSN

2406-6168

ISSN

0567-7572

Publisher

ISHS

Peer Reviewed

  • Yes

Open Access

  • No

Author Research Institute

  • Institute for Future Farming Systems

Era Eligible

  • Yes

Journal

Acta Horticulturae

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