Midwest Vegetable Guide - 2022 - 283

Sweet Potato - Horticulture
Variety Name
Starane Ultra (2.8) (fluroxypyr) POST
| 0.4 pt. per
acre. Apply broadcast or as a directed spray to corn that has
up to 4 fully exposed leaf collars. Use directed spray when
corn is beyond the 4-leaf collar stage. For volunteer potato,
can apply preplant to emerged potato followed by a second
application postemergence to emerged potato. REI: 24-hour.
PHI: 31-day. HRAC 04.
Stinger (3) (clopyralid) POST
| 0.33-0.66 pt. per acre.
Spray on actively growing weeds before corn is 18 inches
tall. Controls composites and nightshade. Wait 21 days
between applications. Do not exceed 0.66 pt. per acre per
year. REI: 12-hour. PHI: 30-day. HRAC 04.
Zidua (85WDG) (pyroxasulfone) PRE
| 1.0-4.0
oz. per acre. Apply before or after planting and before crop
emergence, or at spiking up to V4 (4 leaf collars visible).
May be incorporated. Will not control emerged weeds. May
be tank-mixed or applied sequentially with many other
products. Seed at least 1 inch deep. Do not exceed 2.75 oz.
per acre per season on coarse soils. Do not exceed 5 oz. per
acre per season on other soils. REI: 12-hour. PHI: 37-day.
HRAC 15.
Sweet Potato - Horticulture
Major update by Ben Phillips, Liz Maynard - Oct 2020
Reviewed by Liz Maynard - Aug 2021
Crop Description
Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are of tropical origin and
are related to morning glories. They can perform well in the
Midwest too. The varieties that are easiest to get, and that
perform well in the Midwest are listed below. Some varieties
need up to 140 frost free days to mature. Sweet potatoes can
make for a productive hoophouse crop, and in this way the
longer maturing varieties can also be grown. Asian sweet
potato varieties are starchier than more commonly grown
varieties, and often are white or purple fleshed, instead of
orange. In the table below, FW = Fusarium wilt resistant,
SRKN = Southern root knot nematode resistant, SSR =
Streptomyces soil rot resistant, * = varieties that performed
well in midwestern trials.
Variety Name
*Beauregard
*Carolina Ruby
*Centennial
*Covington
Description
Red skin, orange flesh, vine type,
90-100 days. FW, SSR.
Red skin, orange flesh, vine type,
95-100 days. FW.
Orange skin, orange flesh, vine type,
100 days. FW.
Red skin, orange flesh, bush type,
Evangeline
Hernandez
Georgia Jets
Molokai Purple
Murasaki
O-Henry
Okinawan Purple
Porto Rico
Vardaman
White Bonita
*Red Japanese
Description
95-105 days. FW, SRKN, SSR.
Red skin, orange flesh, vine type,
100 days. FW, SRKN, SSR.
Orange skin, orange flesh, vine type,
120 days. FW, SRKN, SSR.
Orange skin, orange flesh, vine type,
120 days. FW, SRKN, SSR.
Purple skin, purple flesh, vine type,
120 days. Starchy.
Purple skin, white flesh, bush type,
120 days. Starchy. FW, SRKN, SSR.
White skin, white flesh, vine type,
90-100 days. Starchy. FW, SSR.
Beige skin, purple flesh, vine type,
140 days. Starchy.
Orange skin, orange flesh, bush type,
100 days. FW.
Red skin, orange flesh, bush type,
100 days. FW.
White skin, white flesh, vine type,
110-115 days. SRKN.
Purple skin, purple flesh, vine type,
110 days. Starchy. FW.
Planting and Spacing
Root production: Water wheel and finger-style transplanters
work well for mechanically planting sweet potato slips.
Common spacing is 1 foot apart in the row, with rows 3 to 4
feet apart, depending upon the cultivating and harvesting
equipment used. 14,520 slips per acre are required at the 1
foot by 3 feet spacing, while 10,890 are needed at the 1 foot
by 4 feet spacing. Transplant only strong, stocky slips. Yields
can be increased up to 100 bushels per acre by using strong
transplants. It is common for the tops to wither after
transplanting until they root. Transplanting with water is
important to improve their rooting recovery time. Slips may
be transplanted into beds covered with plastic mulch; the
warmed soil will enhance growth and mulch will help with
control.
Slip/cutting production: Select seed stock from highyielding
hills that are smooth, well-shaped, and free of
diseases (scurf, internal cork, wilt, black rot) and insect
injury. When possible, obtain certified G1 or G2 (generation)
seed stock. Store seed stock in new crates to avoid disease
contamination. Seed potatoes should be at least 1-1/2 inches
in diameter. One bushel of small- to medium-sized roots
should produce 500 to 800 sprouts in 10 to 15 square feet of
bed area (one cut).
Slip/cutting production should be in movable protected
systems (low or high tunnels) for early planting in the field to
maximize production season. Before bedding, seed stock
should be pre-sprouted at 85° F and 90% relative humidity
for 3 to 4 weeks until the sprouts are 1 to 1-1/2 inch. Treat
seed stock before planting with Mertect 340F to protect roots
from soil-borne diseases. Bed the seed stock in clean land
that has not been planted with sweet potato for 4 years.
Optimal temperature for growth is 75° F to 85° F. Remove
tunnels 7 days prior to planting to harden the slips.
Midwest Veg Guide 2022
283
Midwest Vegetable Guide - 2022

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