Evaluation of introduced Sweet Potato cultivars at Aiyura in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Abstract

Seven selections of sweet potato were introduced into Papua New Guinea from IITA in Nigeria and Louisiana State University in the USA after intermediate quarantine in the United Kingdom. They were introduced as 12 separate accessions. Evaluation has been conducted at four locations in PNG including Aiyura. This paper reports on a preliminary unreplicated evaluation at Aiyura and two formal trials which include the selections from IITA and the USA and three high yielding PNG releases. Consistent results were obtained between the 5 trials. Two IITA selections (TIS 2525 and TIS 2534) out yielded the best of the PNG cultivar, Merikan. These two releases and other IITA selections were of acceptable flavour to local tasters. The USA selections were generally unacceptable in flavour to local tasters.