Sweetpotato is a vital crop for millions of people in Africa, providing food security, income, and nutrition. However, sweetpotato faces many challenges, such as pests, diseases, low yield, and poor quality. Sweetpotato Genetic Advances and Innovative Seed Systems (SweetGAINS) is a project that aims to modernize Africa’s current systems for sweetpotato breeding and early generation seed production¹.
SweetGAINS Africa aims to improve sweetpotato breeding and deliver better varieties to farmers and consumers in Africa. We do this by:
– Using genomic selection and other best practices to increase the genetic gain and shorten the breeding cycle of sweetpotato.
– Developing and deploying new sweetpotato varieties that have higher yield, disease resistance, and quality traits preferred by farmers and consumers.
– Building capacity and strengthening collaboration among sweetpotato breeding programs in Africa and beyond.
– Engaging with stakeholders and end-users to ensure that our breeding is demand-driven and inclusive.
SweetGAINS Africa has developed and released several new sweetpotato varieties in Africa that have improved yield, disease resistance, and quality traits. Some of these varieties are:
– Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP): A series of varieties that are rich in vitamin A, iron, and zinc, and have high dry matter and starch content. These varieties are suitable for both fresh consumption and processing into products such as flour, chips, and bread².
– White-fleshed sweetpotato (WFSP): A series of varieties that have high yield and resistance to sweetpotato weevil, the most damaging pest of sweetpotato. These varieties are preferred by farmers and consumers in some regions for their taste and texture³.
– Purple-fleshed sweetpotato (PFSP): A series of varieties that have high yield and resistance to sweetpotato virus disease, the most devastating disease of sweetpotato. These varieties are rich in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that has health benefits and gives the flesh a purple color⁴.
SweetGAINS Africa has created genomic resources and tools for the global sweetpotato community, such as the 3rd Generation Hapmap, the SweetpotatoBase database, and the SweetpotatoBreed R package⁵. SweetGAINS Africa has also adopted genomic selection and other best practices that have reduced the breeding cycle by more than half and increased the accuracy and efficiency of selection⁵. SweetGAINS Africa has conducted product profile and variety adoption studies to identify the traits and preferences of different segments of sweetpotato farmers and consumers. SweetGAINS Africa has trained and mentored over 50 students and young scientists in sweetpotato breeding and related disciplines. SweetGAINS Africa has established a network of sweetpotato breeders and stakeholders that fosters knowledge exchange and collaboration.
(1) SweetGAINS Africa – International Potato Center. https://cipotato.org/cip_projects/sweetgains-africa/.
(2) SweetGAINS in Sweetpotato Breeding – International Potato Center. https://cipotato.org/blog/sweetgains-sweetpotato-breeding/.
(3) Building synergies between modernized sweetpotato breeding and seed …. https://www.sweetpotatoknowledge.org/2020/04/02/building-synergies-between-modernized-sweetpotato-breeding-and-seed-systems-for-improved-varieties-in-east-and-central-africa/.
(4) Advancing food and nutrition security and quality of life in Africa …. https://cipotato.org/blog/advancing-food-nutrition-security-quality-life-africa-through-sweetgains/.
(5) Building synergy between sweetpotato breeding and seed systems in East …. https://cipotato.org/blog/modernized-sweetpotato-breeding-seed-systems-improved-varieties-east-central-africa/.
