Abstract:

Sweetpotato productivity is limited by both abiotic and biotic constraints, leading to poor
yields at farm level. They include low soil fertility and draught, shortage of improved varieties, shortage of planting materials, pests and diseases particularly viruses, post harvest
problems such as storages, and market availability and demand as well as low socio status in
some communities. For a period between 1994 and 2004 CIP together with other partners
spearheaded a research on sweetpotato in East Africa to address some of the above constraints. This research was conducted in the major sweetpotato producing areas Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The major focus was on integrated pest management (IPM), integrated
disease management (IDM), post-havest management and integrated crop management (ICM).
Major research findings and outputs have been published in different scientific journal and
scientific reports by the participating researchers in the national agricultural research programmes as well as international research organization. Different methods for controlling
sweetpotato weevils have been identified and prevalence of sweetpotato virus disease (SPVD)
in the region has been mapped together with virus identification and characterisation. Factors affecting post-harvest characteristics of sweetpotato as well as different sweetpotato
processing methods have been evaluated for different sweetpotato cultivars in East Africa. In
addition, different sweetpotato crop management technologies were tested in order to develop a management system and practices that suit the specific condiditions of the farm and
results have been documented in this handbook. This handbook joins major results and outputs from sweetpotato research work conducted in East Africa to help in information dissemination to research scientists, funding agencies, policy markers and other stakeholders interested in improving sweetpotato production through support and strenghtening of research in East Africa.