Land Preparation

• Make the soil to a fine tilth by ploughing or digging to a depth of 15-25 cm
• Make ridges 25-35 cm high, 60 cm apart for planting vines.

Spacing

• 60 cm X 15-20 cm (on ridges)
• 75 cm X 75 cm (on mounds)

Planting

 Primary nursery

• Sweet potato is propagated by means of vine cuttings.
• To obtain vine cutting, raise nurseries from selected tubers using the following method.
• 80 kg of medium sized weevil free tubers (each of 125-150 g) are required for planting in the primary nursery area (100 m² to plant one hectare).
• Plant the tubers at a spacing of 30-45 cm on ridges formed at 60 cm apart.
• Apply urea 15 days after planting @ 1.5 kg/100 m² in the primary nursery.

 Secondary nursery

• Replant the tubers from primary nursery to secondary nursery of about 500 m² area at a spacing of 25 cm.
• Apply urea 15 days after planting @ 1.5 kg/100 m² in the primary nursery.
• To ensure better plant growth in the secondary nursery, 5 kg of urea has to be applied in two split doses on 15th and 30th day after planting.

 Main field

• Plant vine cutting of 20-25 cm length on ridges 60 cm apart and at a spacing of 15-20 cm between the vines.
• The cuttings can also be planted on mounds taken at a spacing of 75 cm x 75 cm.
• On the top of each mound, 3-6 cuttings can be planted.
• Plant the vine cuttings with the middle portion buried deep in the soil and the two cut ends exposed to the surface.
• Ensure sufficient moisture in the soil for early establishment of the cutting.
• Provide adequate drainage and prevent water logging.

Rotation and mixed cropping

• Under irrigated conditions, sweet potato can be rotated with rice and planted during December-January after harvest of the second crop of rice.
• As a mixed crop, it can be grown along with colocasia, elephant foot yam etc.
• Under rainfed conditions, green manure crops such as kozhinjil and sunnhemp can be grown after harvest of the sweet potato and later incorporated into the soil at the time of land preparation for the succeeding crop.