How to scientifically do a good job of collecting and storing sweet potato seeds
July 03 13:56:36, 2025
Sweet potato storage is notoriously challenging, and there's an old saying that goes, "Sweet potatoes are delicious, but hard to eat in winter." According to traditional local knowledge, the correct method for storing sweet potato seeds in northern regions involves several key steps.
First, choose the right land for growing sweet potatoes. The ideal location has loose soil with a deep plow layer and good drainage. Avoid low-lying or waterlogged areas. Sweet potatoes grown in such conditions tend to be more vigorous, disease-resistant, and better suited for long-term storage. When selecting seed tubers, look for short vines, compact shapes, and tubers that exhibit the typical traits of the original variety. They should have dark skin, a smooth surface, and moderate moisture content. Each tuber should weigh between 150 and 200 grams, as these produce strong, healthy seedlings.
Second, select healthy plants in the field for seed production. Choose disease-free plots and identify the strongest, healthiest plants that display the desired characteristics. Mark them clearly. It’s recommended to select at least 200 plants per mu (approximately 667 square meters) for planting, ensuring genetic quality and consistency.
Third, harvest on time. It's best to harvest on sunny, warm days to improve the tubers' disease resistance and storage capacity. Sweet potatoes are warm-season crops, and they should be harvested when the soil temperature at 5 cm depth stabilizes around 10°C. In September, temperatures can fluctuate significantly, so it's important to monitor the weather closely. Harvesting should be done carefully—avoid digging too roughly, throwing, or damaging the tubers. After harvesting, load them gently into baskets and transport them with care to prevent bruising. Ideally, harvest in the morning and bring them into storage in the afternoon to avoid freezing.
Fourth, ensure proper storage conditions. Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes should be stored separately to prevent cross-contamination and disease spread. This also helps meet their different temperature requirements during storage. Sweet potatoes prefer cooler, stable environments, while potatoes may require slightly different conditions.
The storage area must be clean, dry, and well-ventilated. Choose a high, sheltered site for digging the storage pit. If using an old cellar, remove the topsoil, expose fresh soil, or disinfect with lime water or sulfur fumigation. At the bottom of the cellar, place a layer of dry sand, and surround it with hay to keep the tubers dry.
Before storage, carefully inspect each tuber. Only select those that are undamaged, free from frost, rot, or pests. They should have uniform color, appropriate size, and show the typical features of the variety. During storage, sweet potatoes can suffer from black spot and soft rot, so regular checks are essential. Remove any infected or rotten tubers immediately.
When placing the tubers in the cellar, they release a lot of heat due to respiration. To manage this, open the cellar door for ventilation initially until the temperature drops to about 12°C. Then, close the door and maintain a stable temperature between 11°C and 15°C. Avoid temperatures below 11°C to prevent freezing or sprouting, and above 18°C to avoid spoilage. Regular monitoring and maintenance are crucial for successful long-term storage.