Sweet potato product development in Latin America

Executive Summary

The project structured eight sub-projects with the aim of developing sweet potato products for human and animal consumption, both directly and those resulting from the processing of roots and foliage.

• The production and consumption of sweet potato paste in baby food was evaluated.
• Productive root varieties were selected and the foliage yield of different clones and the effect of their consumption by animals was estimated.
• It was shown that root meal can complement corn in sheep diets, without detriment to yield and meat quality.
• It was also shown that the addition of sweet potato to feed corn increases milk production.
• Five dual-purpose (simultaneous production of roots for human consumption and foliage for animal feed) clones were selected from the CIP germplasm collection.
• In terms of new product development, a local variety was genetically modified with the wheat glutenin gene to improve the quality of sweet potato flour for use in baking and other industrial processes.
• A shorter procedure was developed to produce sweet potato plants transformed by somatic embryogenesis, reducing the time from six to two months.
• A post-harvest technology was successfully tested on the roots for export purposes, including curing the roots to avoid deterioration during the shipping period.

The technological solution

Because of the structure of the project, the technological solutions are several including a number of productive and versatile varieties of sweet potato, suitable for human and animal consumption and industrial processing, ready for multiplication in seedbeds and dissemination to small farmers. There is also an innovative, faster process of somatic embryogenesis of genetically modified plants that can be adopted by several laboratories in the region. A root-curing technology was proposed to improve the conditions of conservation of the product for export. The nutritional work has generated food supplements for children in vulnerable situations that can help reduce malnutrition and strengthen sweet potato value chains.

Results

Beneficiaries

The project has a number of different target groups and beneficiaries. Firstly, the information generated about the potential of sweet potato varieties for various uses, post-harvest management for export, the nutritional value of poorly nourished baby food, and the use of sweet potato products and sub-products in animal feed benefits researchers, extensionists, policy makers, and sweet potato farmers. Indirectly, the results benefit seed producers, livestock owners, processors of flour and related products, and consumers in general. The international nature of the project has favored intra-regional collaboration and the flow of information between institutions.

Sustainable Development Goals

Main donors

Dissemination products