CURRENT KNOWLEDGE OF SWEET POTATO CULTIVATION (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) IN MÉXICO

Abstract

Sweet potato is one of the oldest crops in México, and Mesoamerica is recognized as the region with the highest genetic diversity of this species. World production is 150 million tons, with China as the principal producer. In México, about 3000 ha are sown and around 50 000 tons are harvested per year. Sweet potato is cultivated in 26 states and there is a great diversity, with numerous landraces. It is planted in a vegetative manner, using parts of the stem as ‘seed’ and the smallest sweet potatoes, which lack commercial value, are used in some sites. In México its consumption is rather scarce, since it is used as complementary food or dessert. The surface sown in the country is small, although it has been kept almost constant for the last 30 years. The cultivation of sweet potato includes a broad spectrum of ways of production, from commercial cultivation to auto-supply by the producer