Evaluation of Orange Fleshed Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) Genotypes for Growth and Yield related Characters under Rainfed Condition in Uyo Southeastern Nigeria

Five orange fleshed sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) genotypes sourced from National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike were evaluated under rainfed condition in 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria to identify the high yielding and adaptable genotypes. The five genotypes; Umuspo-3, Umuspo-1, Naspot-12, Lourdes and Erica were used as treatments and the experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on growth, yield and yield related characters were collected and analysis of variance, correlation and principal component analysis were performed. The result of the study indicated that the genotype differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) for number of marketable roots, weight of marketable roots and fresh roots yield. Umuspo-3 produced the highest storage root yield (29.22 t/ha, 28.78t/ha) in 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons, respectively. The result of the correlation analysis also revealed that vine length, number of marketable roots, weight of marketable were highly significantly and positively (P< 0.01) correlated with fresh root yield. Principal component analysis (PCA) had three main principal components explaining 82.41% of the total variation with number of marketable roots, weight of marketable tuber and storage root yield contributing the most to the first PCA. Umuspo-3 recorded high yield than the other four orange-fleshed sweetpotato. Therefore, Umuspo-3 was identified as a high yielding and adaptable orange-fleshed sweetpotato genotype and could be recommended mass cultivation in Uyo agro-ecology as a high yielding orange-fleshed sweetpotato.