Raised beds for sweet potato production and weed management

Raise tuber yields with raised beds

The raised bed technology provides sweet potatoes with an elevated platform for growth. Instead of planting them directly in the ground, raised beds are created by piling loose soil. This creates a designated area for the plants. This specialized bed prevents the soil from becoming too compact or saturated, which can harm the plants. Additionally, it hinders the growth of weeds, ensuring that the sweet potatoes receive the necessary nutrients. This method is particularly beneficial in areas where the soil quality may be suboptimal. It facilitates better growth for the sweet potatoes and simplifies maintenance for farmers. In straightforward terms, this technology offers sweet potatoes an elevated space to grow, ultimately leading to healthier and more robust crops.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 7/9

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

Low production output: Poor tuber development can reduce the quantity of marketable sweet potatoes produced per unit of land.
High weed-control costs: Labour-intensive manual weeding increases production costs and reduces operational efficiency.
Inefficient land use: Poor growing conditions can prevent farmers from obtaining the full production potential of available land.
Production variability: Differences in soil structure, drainage and weed pressure can lead to inconsistent crop performance.
Resource inefficiency: Poor soil and water management can reduce the efficiency of labour and other production resources.
Reduced commercial returns: Low yields and high management requirements can limit the profitability of sweet potato production.

Solution

Higher production output: Improved soil conditions support stronger tuber development and can increase the quantity of marketable sweet potatoes produced.
Lower weed-control costs: Better weed management reduces the labour required for repeated manual weeding.
Better land utilization: Raised beds improve the growing environment and help farmers obtain greater productivity from available land.
More consistent production: Improved soil aeration, drainage and weed management create more favorable conditions for crop performance.
Better resource efficiency: The technology supports more efficient use of labour, water and available production resources.
Improved commercial returns: Higher productivity and more efficient crop management can strengthen the economic performance of sweet potato production.

Key points to design your business plan

This technology is beneficial for users:

Utilizing raised beds for sweet potato production offers a sustainable farming approach, promoting increased crop yield, environmental resilience, and economic viability. To effectively implement this technology:

Evaluate your farm's suitability for raised bed cultivation based on factors like soil type and climate, and select appropriate sweet potato varieties accordingly.
Source hand hoe and harrow, or mechanical plow, Procuring mineral fertilizer, compost and chemical control agents (optional), and Supply of mulching litter or plastic sheets (optional) to ensure optimal growth and yield potential.
In terms of cost structure, notice that for potato growers in the United States the installation of raised beds with a mechanized plow, disinfection of soil, fertilizer input and irrigation is costing USD 584 per acre (= 0.4 hectare). Covering soil beds with plastic sheets is furthermore costing USD 150 per acre, whereas mulch from plant litter can be less or more expensive than plastic depending on the type and hauling distance.

For enhanced optimization, consider associating with technologies such as Orange-fleshed sweet potato (Bio-fortified, Drought and virus tolerant), Specialty blended fertilizers (high potassium).

Foster collaborations with agricultural development organizations, fertilizer suppliers, and agricultural service providers to access resources, technical support, and distribution networks for successful implementation and adoption of the technology.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Moderately adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: A bit less water used

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 7 out of 9

Semi-controlled environment: prototype

Level of use 7 out of 9

Common use by projects NOT connected to technology provider

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Algeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Angola	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Botswana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Burundi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Cameroon	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Cape Verde	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Central African Republic	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Chad	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Comoros	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Djibouti	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Egypt	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Eritrea	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Eswatini	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Gabon	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Gambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Guinea	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Guinea-Bissau	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Libya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Madagascar	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Mauritania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mauritius	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Morocco	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Sierra Leone	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Somalia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
South Africa	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
South Sudan	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Togo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Tunisia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Western Sahara	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 13: climate action

Preparation of the Field:
- Till and harrow the field to ensure it is free of weeds and not compacted.
Layout of Raised Beds:
- Create parallel raised beds, spaced approximately 90 centimeters (3 feet) apart.
Building the Raised Beds:
- Heap up loose soil into ridges, creating beds that are about 30 centimeters (1 foot) high.
- Flatten the tops of the beds, providing a stable surface for planting.
Planting Sweet Potatoes:
- Place rooted cuttings and vines at the desired spacing on the flattened tops of the raised beds.
Maintenance and Care:
- Monitor the plants for signs of pests or diseases and take appropriate action if needed.
- Water as necessary to maintain proper soil moisture levels.
Mulching (Optional):
- Consider covering the raised beds with mulch (crop litter) or plastic sheets. This further helps in moisture retention and weed control.
Harvesting:
- Harvest sweet potatoes once they have reached maturity, typically indicated by the vines starting to yellow and wither.