Purple Antioxidant Potatoes: Purple-fleshed sweet potato (high in antioxidants)

Sustain Your Health with Purple Potato

The technology of Purple-fleshed sweet potatoes (PFSP) is a sweet potato variety with purple-colored flesh. These PFSP varieties are characterized by their high levels of anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid that imparts the purple color and contributes to their antioxidant properties. This technology provides a nutrient-rich crop with enhanced antioxidant activity, thereby addressing dietary imbalances and vitamin deficiencies in underserved communities. It is a valuable addition to agricultural systems, promoting overall health and well-being.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Cost: $$$ 20 USD

A bag of 10 Kg of sweet potato vines

ROI: $$$ 30 %

Increase in better health

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

The problems mentioned regarding "Purple-fleshed sweet potato (high in antioxidants)" include:

Vitamin Deficiencies: Vitamin deficiencies are widespread in subsistence farming and poor communities due to low intake of vegetables and fruits.
Health Risks: People in these communities face health risks related to heart disease and cancer due to insufficient intake of antioxidants.
Dietary Imbalance: There is a need to address dietary imbalances in these communities.
Low Intake of Vegetables and Fruits: Llow consumption of vegetables and fruits among these communities.

Solution

High Antioxidant Activity: PFSP varieties have two to three times more antioxidant activity compared to white or yellow sweet potatoes.
Health Benefits: The high levels of antioxidants in PFSP contribute to the body's growth, immune system, and brain activity.
Dietary Improvement: Eating PFSP helps improve dietary balance and addresses vitamin deficiencies common in subsistence farming and poor communities with low vegetable and fruit intake.
Health Promotion: PFSP offers health advantages for individuals of all ages, supporting early childhood development and maintaining the health and activity of adolescents and the elderly.
Anthocyanins: The purple color in PFSP is due to high levels of anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid with a strong antioxidant effect.
Protection from Diseases: Sufficient intake of these natural protective agents can reduce the risks of heart disease and cancer, promoting a healthy and active life.
Versatile Cooking: PFSP can be cooked and fried in various ways, made into puree or flour for storage or sale to bakeries and food manufacturers.
Long-Term Preservation: Cooked PFSP tubers can be preserved for several months in airtight containers, ensuring a year-round supply of healthy food in both rural and urban communities.
Low Glycemic Index: PFSP varieties have a low glycemic index, making them suitable for people with diabetes and hypertension as they don't significantly affect blood pressure and sugar levels.
Resource Utilization: Residues from PFSP, such as vines, peels, and deformed tubers, can be repurposed into silage, providing nutritious fodder for ruminants and pigs.
Nutrient Content: PFSP varieties are rich in potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, offering nutritional benefits in addition to antioxidants.

Key points to design your business plan

This technology may be of interest to seed multipliers and users (farmers)

Seed multiplier:

Producing Purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP) technology offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution, addressing economic empowerment, nutrition, and climate resilience in agriculture. It contributes to enhanced health and wellbeing on a global scale.
To efficiently multiply vines, it's essential to acquire Foundation or Registered Seed, depending on your role in the seed development process. Multipliers don't need a license for propagating PFSP varieties for producing and selling certified seeds locally.
Your potential customers include wholesale distributors of seed to retailers, as well as development projects, government agencies, and NGOs.

Users:

Using Purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP) offers a solution, fostering economic empowerment and enhancing the health and well-being of diverse farming communities.
As key partners, you need multiplier of vines of PFSP.
The cost structure includes a price of PFSP. In Kenya, a bag with 10 kilograms of sweet potato vines is usually sold for less than USD20, including transport costs. For planting a field measuring one acre (0.3 hectare) you need 20 bags of vines, making a total cost of USD400.

Additionally, allocate resources for training and post-training support provided by a team of trainers during project installation.

You need to estimate the profit realized with the use of the product.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Here's the procedure for implementing the technology of "Purple-fleshed sweet potato (high in antioxidants)":

Multiplication: Multiplication involves increasing the number of PFSP planting materials. This can be done through seeds, tubers, or vines.
Planting Materials: The planting materials for PFSP include seeds, tubers, or vines, which are used to propagate new plants.
Cuttings from Vines: Cuttings from PFSP vines are commonly used for planting. These cuttings are relatively easy to obtain and prepare.
Nursing Slips: Slips, which are young shoots or plantlets, can be obtained from tubers or cuttings from vines. These slips are nurtured to grow into healthy young plants.
Planting Beds: The slips or cuttings can be planted in beds to facilitate their growth. This step involves preparing beds for planting.
Water Propagation: Some slips or cuttings are placed with the bottom of the stem in water. This water propagation method helps the slips develop roots and become suitable for planting.
Planting Angle: When planting the healthy slips or cuttings, they should be inserted into the soil at an angle.
Spacing: Proper spacing is essential for PFSP planting. The text recommends a spacing of 50cm between rows and 30cm from plant to plant.