Cultivation of Sweet Potato and its Vines Utilization in Bataan, Philippines

The study evaluated the cultivation of sweet potato and its vines utilization in the province of Bataan, Philippines. The data and information were gathered through field surveys of seasoned farmers using structured questionnaires. Subsequently, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. As a result, sweet potato planting usually falls in May to August while harvesting takes place in September to November. The most common varieties planted are Inube, Kinerots, and Super Bureau, considering high yield, color, size, and shape as the common reasons for planting a certain variety. Postproduction operations include vine removal, manual harvesting, field gathering, sorting, and grading before marketing. Most farmers considered harvesting operation as the number one that needs to be mechanized followed by planting operation. Most farmers practiced the removal of vines with large quantities of 5 to 10 tons per hectare. Sweet potato vines are mainly used as animal feed, planting materials, and composting, with no reported use for industrial applications. The study suggests exploring the mechanization of sweet potato planting and harvesting operations by providing access to modern farming equipment such as mechanical planters and harvesters that can potentially increase efficiency and reduce labor costs. The findings also suggest promoting the use of sweet potato vines for industrial applications to increase the productivity and sustainability of sweet potato farming.