Fodder and tuber yields of improved sweet potato cultivars for crop-livestock farmers in the Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify sweet potato cultivars with both high fodder production for livestock and tuber for human consumption for integration into the crop-livestock farming systems. Trials were conducted at the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) 11º 12’N and 7º 33’E, at an altitude of 610m above sea level, Central Nigeria during the 1999 rainy season. Three sweet potato cultivars ((TIS-2532.OP.1.13 (OP-13); TIS-8164 (*164); and TIS-87/0087 (87)) and a local check were laid in a randomised complete block design experiment and replicated 3 times. Samplings were done to monitor vegetative cover at weeks 12, 16 and 20. Mean score was 96%. Vegetative cover increased progressively up to weeks 12-14 post-planting and declined thereafter in all the cultivars. When forage yield was considered in conjunction with tuber yield for dual-purpose potential, cultivar TIS 8164 out-yielded all the other cultivars evaluated, hence its recommendation for integration into crop-livestock production systems.