The Tropical Agriculturalist: Sweet Potato

The "Tropical Agriculturalist" is a series of practical field guides and textbooks for: producers, farmers and farm managers; agricultural extension officers; agricultural diploma, degree and vocational students; teachers and lecturers; senior secondary students, as reference books; and adult education, rural and community development programmes. "Sweet Potato" is a valuable source of information one of the world's most important food crops. Global production of sweet potato rivals that of the cassava and the crop is widely cultivated in small home gardens and farms in the tropics and in much larger areas in the subtropical to temperate zones of the Far East and the USA. Originally grown as a subsistance food, sweet potato is increasingly being regarded as a useful cash crop, and has great, but largely unexplored, potential for industrial processing. Despite its potential, sweet potato has received relatively little attention from scientists and agricultural extension services; hence, there are few sources of published information. This book, translated from the original French, is clearly written and illustrated throughout with photographs and diagrams. The text provides comprehensive information on the plant's growth and development, optimum conditions for cultivation, harvesting and storage, and common pests and diseases. The potential for sweet potato as a source of food security and income generation is also explored.