Effects of Root-Zone Volume, Vine Pruning, and Season on Yield, Proximate Composition, and Antioxidant Capacity of Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas (Lam.) L. TU-82-155)

Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas (Lam.) L.) has been examined as a target crop for an advanced life-support system (ALS). In an ALS, available area for crop production is limited, so both root-zone volume and above-ground biomass area become important. Additionally, the food-value trade-offs associated with pruning must be determined to allow consideration of sweetpotato as a dual-purpose crop for both root production and as a salad component. This study examined the impact of cultivation practices on the yield and nutritional aspects of this crop. Variations in the fresh weight of storage roots produced correlated with the amount of pruning. In addition, yield was not found to be proportional to available root-zone volume. Edible root biomass was analyzed for proximate composition, and select treatments were analyzed for total vitamin A content. Further investigations examined the impact of training unbranched vines on yield. Results from this study will allow NASA researchers to identify cultivation practices that provide the highest yield and nutritional content of ALS crops per unit growth area.