International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research
ISSN 2350-1561
Vol.4 (11), pp. 235-241, November 2016
Available online at https://www.journalissues.org/IJAPR/
DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.15739/IJAPR.16.024
Article 16/ID/JPR071/07/ pages
Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License.

Root yield and root flesh colour segregation of sweet potato seedlings developed from controlled pollinated sweet potato varieties in Umudike South Eastern Nigeria

Nwankwo I.I.M., Akinbo, O.K., Ezebuiro, V.N., Okeagu, O.D, Ifegwu, K.U. and Eke-Okoro, O.N

National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, P.M.B 7006, Umuahia. Abia state, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author E-mail: nwankwomaxwell@yahoo.com

Tel. +2348063668433

Controlled cross pollinated  sweet potato botanical seeds from sweet potato breeding block  was raised in the screen house and after 30 days, transplanted to the field at the Eastern experimental field of National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, Umuahia- Abia State, Nigeria with the  objectives to determine  the number of roots per seedling, the weight of  root yield potential per seedling,  the dry matter content per family and  the number of orange fleshed colour genotypes (due to its higher vitamin A content) per family and for further evaluation. The seedlings in the 27 families were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with thirty seedlings per family per plot and replicated 3 times.  Data collected were on number of storage roots per family per seedling, root fresh weight per family per seedling, root dry matter content per family and percentage colour segregation per family. The results indicated high significant (P<0.01) variability among the seedlings in terms of number of tuberous roots, root fresh weight,  flesh colour  variation and dry matter content per family. Out of 27 families, 11 (40.7%) are high yielding genotypes (ie.18-30t/ha) and 7 (25.9%) as moderately yielding genotypes (ie 11-17t/ha). These were selected for further evaluation.