Silage production from sweet potato vines and tubers

Fodder Enrichment for Thriving Livestock

Silage production from sweet potato vines and tubers is a valuable agricultural innovation that efficiently converts underutilized resources into high-quality animal fodder. This technology not only prevents resource wastage under unfavorable conditions but also bridges gaps in animal feed availability for farmers. The fermentation process enhances digestibility, preserving essential nutrients and making it an excellent complement to traditional feeds. By including sweet potato silage in animal rations, livestock can grow rapidly due to its rich nutrient content, ensuring they remain satiated and maintain good health. This approach is particularly beneficial for both small-scale and commercial farmers, offering sustainable and cost-effective solutions to their livestock feeding needs.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive low

Women: Positive low

Climate adaptability: Moderately adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Moderate improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

Loss of Feed Resources: Sweet potato vines and non-marketable tubers can deteriorate after harvest instead of being utilized as livestock feed.
Seasonal Feed Shortages: Seasonal fluctuations in fodder availability constrain reliable livestock feeding, particularly during dry periods.
Limited Feed Preservation: The high moisture content and rapid deterioration of fresh sweet potato materials limit their storage and year-round use as livestock feed.
Dependence on Costly Feed Sources: Limited availability of preserved local feed resources increases reliance on purchased feeds and constrains livestock production.

Solution

Improved Feed Resource Utilization: Silage production converts sweet potato vines and non-marketable tubers into livestock feed, reducing the loss of potentially useful feed resources after harvest.
Improved Seasonal Feed Availability: Preserved silage provides a feed reserve for periods when fresh fodder availability declines.
Extended Feed Preservation: Ensiling preserves sweet potato materials beyond harvest, supporting more reliable feed availability throughout the year.
Reduced Dependence on Purchased Feed: Greater use of locally available sweet potato materials for feed can reduce reliance on purchased feed sources.

Key points to design your project

The silage production technology can empower both genders by providing a sustainable solution for livestock feeding. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions by converting underutilized resources into high-quality fodder. This technology contributes to several SDGs, including Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production, No Poverty, and Decent Work and Economic Growth. Here's how to implement it:

Sensitization of Farmers: Conduct workshops or training sessions to educate farmers on the benefits of sweet potato silage systems.
Identifying Mixtures and Set-ups: Determine the right mixtures and set-ups for silage production based on the availability of feedstock and the demand in the region.
Equipment: Procure a chipper, and compacting drums or press systems. These tools are necessary for chopping the vines and tubers and for compacting the silage.
Investment in Materials: Purchase plastic sheets or tubes, sealing materials, and consider digging trenches for storage.
Collection of Feedstock: Organize the collection or purchase of fresh vine and tuber waste from sweet potato.
Market Organization: Establish a system for on-farm use of silage fodder or sales on local markets. This could involve setting up a cooperative or a farmer's market.

Communication support for the technology should be developed (flyers, videos, radio broadcasts, etc.)

To implement the technology in your country, you could collaborate with agricultural development institutes.

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 7 out of 9

Semi-controlled environment: prototype

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some 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
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–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 8: decent work and economic growth

Here are the procedures for silage production from sweet potato vines and tubers:

1. Cutting and Chipping: Begin by cutting the vines and chipping the tubers into suitable sizes. While this can be done by hand, using an electric chipper is more efficient for processing larger quantities of feedstock.

2. Choice of Silo: Select the type of silo you want to use based on your specific needs. Options include 'bag silos,' which involve compressing silage into sealed tubes, 'stack silos' where silage is piled into mounds, and 'trench silos' that are pits of up to 2 meters deep.

3. Compaction: Compact the silage using a metal drum fitted with tubes for air and water drainage. People and weights can be used to push down the feedstock. Alternatively, you can opt for medium to large-sized mechanized press systems, which are suitable for larger-scale operations and can be powered by grid electricity or generators.

4. Storage Adaptation: Ensure that the size and means of storage are adapted to your specific context, whether you are a subsistence or commercial farmer. This step is crucial for preserving the quality of the silage.

5. Feeding Considerations: Once the silage has been opened, it should be fed to livestock within a short period to prevent spoilage. Proper adaptation of storage methods helps manage this effectively.

Last updated on Sep 23, 2026