Raised beds for sweet potato production and weed management

Raise tuber yields with raised beds

The raised bed technology provides sweet potatoes with an elevated platform for growth. Instead of planting them directly in the ground, raised beds are created by piling loose soil. This creates a designated area for the plants. This specialized bed prevents the soil from becoming too compact or saturated, which can harm the plants. Additionally, it hinders the growth of weeds, ensuring that the sweet potatoes receive the necessary nutrients. This method is particularly beneficial in areas where the soil quality may be suboptimal. It facilitates better growth for the sweet potatoes and simplifies maintenance for farmers. In straightforward terms, this technology offers sweet potatoes an elevated space to grow, ultimately leading to healthier and more robust crops.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Moderately adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: A bit less water used

Problem

Weed Overgrowth: Uncontrolled weeds compete with sweet potatoes, reducing yields and stunting growth.
Soil Compaction and Waterlogging: Traditional methods can lead to poor root development and tuber growth.
Soil-Borne Diseases: These diseases can devastate sweet potato crops, leading to lower yields and economic losses.
Low Tuber Yields: Insufficient tuber production leads to reduced income for farmers.
Labour-Intensive Weed Control: Manual weeding diverts resources from other crucial activities.
Inefficient Water Use: Poor drainage strains water resources and harms plant health.
Limited Land Utilization: Inefficient planting methods limit crop diversification and income potential.
Challenges in Low Rainfall Conditions: Drought stress leads to reduced yields and economic losses.

Solution

Optimized Growing Conditions: Elevates sweet potato plants, creating ideal conditions for tuber development. Prevents soil compaction and waterlogging, ensuring healthy growth.
Disease-Resistant Cultivation: Provides an environment hostile to soil-borne diseases, fostering healthier crops and minimizing disease-related losses.
Yield Enhancement and Crop Resilience: Maximizes tuber yields by maintaining optimal soil conditions, reducing dependency on external inputs and manual labour.
Resource-Efficient Farming: Reduces labour-intensive tasks, allowing efficient resource allocation. Optimizes water use and maximizes land productivity.
Adaptability to Varied Environments: Addresses challenges posed by low rainfall conditions. Retains moisture in raised beds, ensuring sweet potatoes thrive in less favourable conditions.

Key points to design your project

This technology of raised beds for sweet potato production and weed management significantly enhances agricultural sustainability and productivity. By optimizing nitrogen management and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers, it fosters healthier plant growth while promoting ecosystem preservation through effective weed management.

To integrate this technology effectively, several key steps and prerequisites should be considered:

Educating farmers about the benefits of raised beds for sweet potato production and weed management, highlighting improved soil aeration, drainage, and weed control.
Promote access to hand hoe and harrow, or mechanical plow, Procuring mineral fertilizer, compost and chemical control agents (optional), and Supply of mulching litter or plastic sheets (optional)
Selecting suitable sweet potato varieties that thrive in raised bed environments and complementing them with appropriate weed management practices.
Ensuring access to quality planting materials for sweet potatoes, including rooted cuttings or vines.
Providing support for the construction of raised beds and necessary training on their maintenance and management.

For enhanced optimization, it's advisable to associate this technology with other complementary technologies such as Orange-fleshed sweet potato (Bio-fortified, Drought and virus tolerant), Specialty blended fertilizers (high potassium).

Cost: $$$ 584 USD

Installation of raised beds per acre

7 %

Fresh tuber weight increased

IP

Open source / open access

Raised beds for sweet potato production and weed management

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

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

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Algeria	Tested	Adopted
Angola	Tested	Adopted
Benin	Tested	Adopted
Botswana	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	Tested	Adopted
Burundi	Tested	–Not adopted
Cameroon	Tested	–Not adopted
Cape Verde	Tested	–Not adopted
Central African Republic	Tested	–Not adopted
Chad	Tested	–Not adopted
Comoros	Tested	–Not adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Tested	–Not adopted
Djibouti	Tested	–Not adopted
Egypt	Tested	–Not adopted
Eritrea	Tested	–Not adopted
Eswatini	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	Tested	–Not adopted
Gabon	Tested	–Not adopted
Gambia	Tested	–Not adopted
Ghana	Tested	–Not adopted
Guinea	Tested	–Not adopted
Guinea-Bissau	Tested	–Not adopted
Kenya	Tested	–Not adopted
Libya	Tested	Adopted
Madagascar	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	Tested	–Not adopted
Mauritania	Tested	Adopted
Mauritius	Tested	–Not adopted
Morocco	Tested	–Not adopted
Republic of the Congo	Tested	–Not adopted
Rwanda	Tested	–Not adopted
Senegal	Tested	–Not adopted
Sierra Leone	Tested	–Not adopted
Somalia	Tested	–Not adopted
South Africa	Tested	–Not adopted
South Sudan	Tested	–Not adopted
Togo	Tested	–Not adopted
Tunisia	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	Tested	–Not adopted
Western Sahara	Tested	–Not adopted
Zambia	Tested	–Not adopted
Zimbabwe	Tested	–Not 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 13: climate action

Preparation of the Field:
- Till and harrow the field to ensure it is free of weeds and not compacted.
Layout of Raised Beds:
- Create parallel raised beds, spaced approximately 90 centimeters (3 feet) apart.
Building the Raised Beds:
- Heap up loose soil into ridges, creating beds that are about 30 centimeters (1 foot) high.
- Flatten the tops of the beds, providing a stable surface for planting.
Planting Sweet Potatoes:
- Place rooted cuttings and vines at the desired spacing on the flattened tops of the raised beds.
Maintenance and Care:
- Monitor the plants for signs of pests or diseases and take appropriate action if needed.
- Water as necessary to maintain proper soil moisture levels.
Mulching (Optional):
- Consider covering the raised beds with mulch (crop litter) or plastic sheets. This further helps in moisture retention and weed control.
Harvesting:
- Harvest sweet potatoes once they have reached maturity, typically indicated by the vines starting to yellow and wither.