Author(s): Solomon Ali, Wassu Mohammed and Beneberu Shimelis
The productivity of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is mainly dependant on the acquisition accessions which posses desirable traits and development of high yielding varieties with desired quality attributes. For this purpose, Haramaya University collected 116 sweet potato accessions from International and National sources to develop varieties for eastern Ethiopia; however, the accessions characterization and documentation were not exhaustively done to support the improvement program. Therefore, this study was conducted during 2012/2013 cropping season to characterize, evaluate, and documenting of agronomic and physicochemical attributes of sweet potato accessions at Haramaya. Augmented design consisting of 114 entries/tests and two checks were used. Varied number of accessions recorded significantly higher values than the mean of the checks for days to physiological maturity, above ground fresh biomass, storage root fresh weight, total storage root yield, marketable storage root yield, reducing sugar, total sugar, and total starch content, pH, dry matter content, total soluble solid, specific gravity and peel content. Tis-9465-7 had the highest storage root fresh weight yield; marketable storage root yield and total storage root yield and Koka-12 and CN-2069-7 exhibited significantly highest values than mean of the checks for days to physiological maturity and above ground fresh biomass, respectively. CN-1752-14, CN-2056-8 and Tis-80/043-1 for reducing sugar, pH and total soluble solid, respectively, exhibited significantly highest values, while CN-1752-15 recorded the highest total sugar and total starch content. Korojo had significantly highest values for specific gravity, dry matter. Tis-82/0602 were exhibited that the lowest in peel content. Elliptic shape (27.19%) and horizontal constriction (45.62%) defect were dominant in the accessions. Most of the accession had white skin color (22.6%) while 21.92% accessions had creamy flesh color.
