Tent-style greenhouse for multiplication of sweet potato vines and cuttings

Greenhouse Solutions for Thriving Sweet Potato Farms

The tent-style greenhouse is constructed using locally available materials and screen nets, which are cost-effective and easy to assemble. The greenhouse maintains optimal soil moisture, either manually or through drip irrigation, promoting healthy growth of the vines. The screen nets serve a dual purpose: they provide a barrier against pests and diseases, and they create a controlled environment conducive to growth. This technology ensures the production of high-quality, disease-free planting material, which is crucial for the successful cultivation of sweet potatoes. It’s a practical and beneficial tool for farmers aiming to increase their sweet potato yield.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•9

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

Cost: $$$ 7.66 USD

total investment per square meter

ROI: $$$ 56 %

over 3 year

4-9 USD

sales of vines per square meter

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

Lack of Planting Material: Farmers often face a shortage of planting material, limiting the area of land they can cultivate with the crop.
Degeneration of Planting Material: Over time, the quality of sweet potato vines used as starter material can degrade, affecting the yield.
Pest and Disease Infestation: Sweet potato vines are susceptible to pests and diseases, which can severely impact the crop’s health and yield.
Poor Quality of Planting Material: The survival and growth of sweet potato vines upon planting can be compromised if the planting material is of poor quality or infected with pathogens.
High Costs and Infrastructure Challenges: The construction of traditional greenhouses can be costly and may require materials or infrastructure that are not readily available locally.

Solution

Planting Material: The greenhouse enables efficient multiplication of sweet potato vines and cuttings, addressing the issue of shortage and degradation of planting material.
Pests/Diseases: The use of screen nets in the greenhouse provides a barrier against pests and diseases, ensuring healthy growth of the vines.
Infrastructure/Cost: The greenhouse design is cost-effective and can be constructed using locally available materials, solving the problem of high costs and local availability issues.

Key points to design your business plan

For Farmers:

Integrating a tent-style greenhouse in a sweet potato farm business can significantly enhance crop yield and quality by providing a controlled, pest-free environment and ensuring the availability of high-quality planting material. This cost-effective solution also promotes efficient use of resources, contributing to sustainable farming practices.

Here are the key steps for a successful implementation of a tent-style greenhouse in your sweet potato farm:

Learn About the Greenhouse: Attend workshops or seek information about the tent-style greenhouse, its benefits, and operation.
Estimate Costs: Calculate the costs for constructing the greenhouse and purchasing vines. Include transportation, labor, and training costs.
Choose the Location: Find a spot on your farm with good light, drainage, and wind protection for the greenhouse.
Prepare the Site: Clear the chosen area and level the base.
Build the Greenhouse: Assemble the frame, install the screen nets, and cover the frame with the plastic cover. You might need some help with this.
Arrange the Plants: Place the sweet potato vines and cuttings inside the greenhouse, ensuring enough space for air circulation.
Maintain the Greenhouse: Learn how to control soil moisture, temperature, and airflow inside the greenhouse.
Evaluate and Improve: Regularly check the effectiveness of the greenhouse and make necessary improvements.

Remember, the timeline for these activities will depend on your specific situation and needs.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: No impact

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Water use: Same amount of water used

Tent-style greenhouse for multiplication of sweet potato vines and cuttings

Algeria,Angola,Benin,Botswana,Burkina Faso,Burundi,Cameroon,Cape Verde,Central African Republic,Chad,Comoros,Democratic Republic of the Congo,Djibouti,Egypt,Equatorial Guinea,Eritrea,Ethiopia,Gabon,Gambia,Ghana,Guinea,Guinea-Bissau,Côte d’Ivoire,Kenya,Lesotho,Liberia,Libya,Madagascar,Malawi,Mali,Mauritania,Mauritius,Morocco,Mozambique,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Republic of the Congo,Rwanda,Senegal,Sierra Leone,Somalia,South Africa,South Sudan,Sudan,Eswatini,Tanzania,Togo,Tunisia,Uganda,Western Sahara,Zambia,Zimbabwe

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 9 out of 9

Common use by intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

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
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Botswana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Central African Republic	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–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 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 13: climate action

Site Selection: Identify and secure an appropriate location for constructing the greenhouse. Ensure it has sufficient space and access to sunlight.
Gather Materials: Acquire the necessary materials for construction, including screen netting, supporting posts, anchors, cables, and any optional components like drip irrigation system.
Erecting Posts: Begin by setting up the supporting posts at regular intervals across the chosen area. These posts will serve as the framework for the greenhouse.
Installing Cables: Connect the cables to the posts horizontally, creating a grid-like pattern to support the screen netting. This step provides structural stability.
Sinking Cable Anchors: Secure the cables in place by sinking anchors into the ground. These anchors will help maintain tension and stability in the structure.
Connecting Cables and Anchors: Ensure that the cables are securely connected to the anchors, creating a stable framework for the greenhouse.
Stretching Screen Nets: Carefully drape the screen netting over the framework, ensuring it covers the entire structure. Secure the netting in place.
Burying Edges of Screen Nets: Bury the edges of the screen netting in the soil to prevent pests and insects from entering the greenhouse.
Optional: Installing Drip Irrigation System: If desired, set up a drip irrigation system connected to a water tank to maintain optimal soil moisture levels within the greenhouse.
Monitor and Maintain: Regularly inspect the greenhouse for any wear and tear, and make necessary repairs. Ensure that the irrigation system (if installed) is functioning properly.
Utilize for Multiplication: Once the greenhouse is set up, use it for multiplying sweet potato vines and cuttings. Place the planting material inside the greenhouse for propagation.