Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern Ethiopia
A climate-resilient, root-based sweetpotato planting material (SPM) conservation method called “Triple S” or “Storage in Sand and Sprouting” has created timely access to sweetpotato planting material in areas with a prolonged dry season in Uganda and Tanzania. The aim of this study was to validate a...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
De Gruyter
2022-03-01
|
Series: | Open Agriculture |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2021-0063 |
_version_ | 1811202999107715072 |
---|---|
author | Hundayehu Mihiretu C. McEwan Margaret Namanda Sam Low Jan W. Vandamme Elke Brouwer Roland |
author_facet | Hundayehu Mihiretu C. McEwan Margaret Namanda Sam Low Jan W. Vandamme Elke Brouwer Roland |
author_sort | Hundayehu Mihiretu C. |
collection | DOAJ |
description | A climate-resilient, root-based sweetpotato planting material (SPM) conservation method called “Triple S” or “Storage in Sand and Sprouting” has created timely access to sweetpotato planting material in areas with a prolonged dry season in Uganda and Tanzania. The aim of this study was to validate and optimize the Triple S method for conservation of sweetpotato planting material in dry areas of southern Ethiopia. The Triple S method was validated in four districts of southern Ethiopia on varieties Kulfo and Awassa 83 and compared with two common local planting material conservation methods: leaving “volunteer roots” in the soil which then sprout at the onset of rains; and planting vines under shade or mulch. Across study locations and for both varieties, Triple S resulted in a higher survival rate (81–95%) in storage during the dry season compared to the local conservation methods (7–57%). Plants of both varieties grown from roots conserved with the Triple S method showed significantly higher vine growth and lower weevil and virus infection symptoms compared to plants grown from the two local conservation methods. An additional experiment found that planting at the start of the main rainy season in June and harvesting just before the start of the dry season in October gives the highest number of medium-sized and weevil-free roots suitable for Triple S. The current study demonstrated that the Triple S method is a promising technology for small-scale sweetpotato farmers in dry areas for timely access to high-quality planting material |
first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:48:29Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-3cbb51038a2c45c689fb47ce9bbc23e6 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2391-9531 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:48:29Z |
publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
publisher | De Gruyter |
record_format | Article |
series | Open Agriculture |
spelling | doaj.art-3cbb51038a2c45c689fb47ce9bbc23e62022-12-22T03:51:05ZengDe GruyterOpen Agriculture2391-95312022-03-017112013110.1515/opag-2021-0063Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern EthiopiaHundayehu Mihiretu C.0McEwan Margaret1Namanda Sam2Low Jan W.3Vandamme Elke4Brouwer Roland5International Potato Center, Hawassa, EthiopiaInternational Potato Center, Nairobi, KenyaInternational Potato Center, Kampala, UgandaInternational Potato Center, Nairobi, KenyaInternational Potato Center, Kigali, RwandaInternational Potato Center, Hawassa, EthiopiaA climate-resilient, root-based sweetpotato planting material (SPM) conservation method called “Triple S” or “Storage in Sand and Sprouting” has created timely access to sweetpotato planting material in areas with a prolonged dry season in Uganda and Tanzania. The aim of this study was to validate and optimize the Triple S method for conservation of sweetpotato planting material in dry areas of southern Ethiopia. The Triple S method was validated in four districts of southern Ethiopia on varieties Kulfo and Awassa 83 and compared with two common local planting material conservation methods: leaving “volunteer roots” in the soil which then sprout at the onset of rains; and planting vines under shade or mulch. Across study locations and for both varieties, Triple S resulted in a higher survival rate (81–95%) in storage during the dry season compared to the local conservation methods (7–57%). Plants of both varieties grown from roots conserved with the Triple S method showed significantly higher vine growth and lower weevil and virus infection symptoms compared to plants grown from the two local conservation methods. An additional experiment found that planting at the start of the main rainy season in June and harvesting just before the start of the dry season in October gives the highest number of medium-sized and weevil-free roots suitable for Triple S. The current study demonstrated that the Triple S method is a promising technology for small-scale sweetpotato farmers in dry areas for timely access to high-quality planting materialhttps://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2021-0063triple sseed systemdry seasonweevilvirus |
spellingShingle | Hundayehu Mihiretu C. McEwan Margaret Namanda Sam Low Jan W. Vandamme Elke Brouwer Roland Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern Ethiopia Open Agriculture triple s seed system dry season weevil virus |
title | Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern Ethiopia |
title_full | Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern Ethiopia |
title_fullStr | Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern Ethiopia |
title_full_unstemmed | Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern Ethiopia |
title_short | Participatory validation and optimization of the Triple S method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern Ethiopia |
title_sort | participatory validation and optimization of the triple s method for sweetpotato planting material conservation in southern ethiopia |
topic | triple s seed system dry season weevil virus |
url | https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2021-0063 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT hundayehumihiretuc participatoryvalidationandoptimizationofthetriplesmethodforsweetpotatoplantingmaterialconservationinsouthernethiopia AT mcewanmargaret participatoryvalidationandoptimizationofthetriplesmethodforsweetpotatoplantingmaterialconservationinsouthernethiopia AT namandasam participatoryvalidationandoptimizationofthetriplesmethodforsweetpotatoplantingmaterialconservationinsouthernethiopia AT lowjanw participatoryvalidationandoptimizationofthetriplesmethodforsweetpotatoplantingmaterialconservationinsouthernethiopia AT vandammeelke participatoryvalidationandoptimizationofthetriplesmethodforsweetpotatoplantingmaterialconservationinsouthernethiopia AT brouwerroland participatoryvalidationandoptimizationofthetriplesmethodforsweetpotatoplantingmaterialconservationinsouthernethiopia |