Utilization of sweet potatoes in controlled ecological life support systems (CELSS)

A number of studies have selected the sweet potato as a potentially important crop for CELSS. Most hydroponic studies of sweet potatoes have been short term (<80 days). Full term (90 to 150 days) studies of sweet potatoes in hydroponic systems were needed to understand the physiology of storage root enlargement and to evaluate sweet potato production potential for CELSS. Early and late maturing sweet potato varieties were crown in hydroponic systems of different types--static with periodic replacement, flowing with and without recirculation, aggregate, and non-aggregate. In a flowing system with recirculation designed at Tuskegee University using the nutrient film technique (NFT), storage root yields as high as 1790 g were produced with an edible growth rate of up to 66 g m-2 d-1 and a harvest index as high as 89% under greenhouse conditions. Preliminary experiments indicated high yields can be obtained in controlled environmental chambers. Significant cultivar differences were found in all systems studied. Nutritive composition of storage roots and foliage were similar to field-grown plants. The results indicate great potential for sweet potato in CELSS.