Identification of water deficit tolerant sweet potato genotypes: open field screening

• Grant number: 23/01678-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date until: April 01, 2023
• End date until: October 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Edgard Henrique Costa Silva
• Grantee: Sandro Vinícius dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03120-6 - Development of drought-tolerant sweet potato genotypes, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

Sweet potato is socioeconomically relevant in Western São Paulo, a region characterized by the predominance of conditions that increase the water deficit, such as sandy soils, high temperatures, and the occurrence of Indian summer. Stress due to water deficiency is a factor that reduces yield and quality of sweet potato tuberous roots. As part of a breeding program aimed at drought tolerance, the objective is to identify sweet potato genotypes tolerant to water deficit through the evaluation of physiological aspects and parameters of yield and root quality. An experiment will be conducted in strips design to study the behavior of sweet potato genotypes in two water regimes (40 and 100% of field capacity). Characteristics of vegetative development, physiological aspects, yield, and quality of tuberous roots will be evaluated. The genotypes will be classified as neutral, sensitive, or tolerant to water deficit. The results of this study will support the next stages of the breeding program through the selection of genotypes for polycrosses.