Macro-propagation of Two Nigerian Varieties of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) Using three Growth Media

This study was conducted to investigate the sprouting potential of two varieties ((purple-skin with white-flesh – PSWF and cream-skin with yellow-flesh – CSYF)) of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) commonly grown and consumed in Nigeria. The tubers of the two varieties were cultivated in three substrates (hydroponics, sawdust and topsoil) to generate vines with assigned treatment groups – control (whole tuber), T1 (whole tuber with scarified buds), T2 (whole tuber split into two), T3 (whole tuber split into four) in a humidity chamber. Each treatment was replicated three times. The vines were grown for a study period of five weeks and the number and length of vines were recorded. It was observed that the different treatment levels showed variability for the cream and purple skinned, mean length of vines in topsoil (control 0,110; T1 0,105; T2 5.5,0; T3 0,18.3), in sawdust (control 0,0; T1 0,0; T2 0,0; T3 0,3), and in hydroponics (control 10.2,0; T1 17.7, 10.5; T2 3.6, 6; T3 0,0) respectively and number of vines in topsoil (control 0,4; T1 0,4; T2 1,0; T3 0,3), in sawdust (control 0,0; T1 0,0; T2 0,0; T3 0,3) and in hydroponics (control 5,0; T1 13,3; T2 8,8; T3 0,0) respectively. The result revealed that splitting of tubers and planting in topsoil and sawdust is not viable for the generation of vines for the two varieties as it gave little or no sprouts. The use of whole tubers or whole tubers with scarified buds planted in water is recommended since it produced the highest number of vines.