EVALUATION OF STORAGE ROOT YIELD, DRY MATTER AND STARCH CONTENT IN F1 PROGENIES OF SWEETPOTATO (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) OBTAINED FROM CONTROLLED CROSS SYSTEM

High yield and dry matter are important characteristics of sweetpotato varieties in addition to starch content which has industrial applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of progenies sweetpotato obtained from controlled cross system for higher root yield, dry matter and starch content. Field experiment was conducted at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Southeast Nigeria during the 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons to evaluate diversity across progenies of three (3) sweetpotato families; SautiX442162 (6), LigriXFaara (17), SautiXBohye (17), including two check varieties (Umuspo3 and TIS 87/0087). This experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The variables observed included: number of root per plot, the weight of root per plot, dry matter content, root yield and starch content. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference among the tested genotypes in most of traits observed. Root yield ranged from 2.2– 19.33t/ha and starch content ranged from 80.11mg100g-1 to 20.76mg100 -1 . SautiX442162/1 had the highest starch content, 80.11mg100g -1 while SautiXBohye/9 had the lowest starch content, 20.76mg100 -1 . Five promising genotypes; LigriXFaara/2 (14.67t/ha), LigriXFaara/3 (16.02t/ha), SautiXBohye/1 (15.03t/ha), SautiXBohye/2 (19.33t/ha), SautiXBohye/3 (16.00t/ha) recorded high yield above the world’s estimated annual average yield of 13.7t/ha. Six promising genotypes recorded starch content above 50mg100-1; SautiX442162/1 (80.11mg100-1), SautiX442162/3 (77.51mg100 -1 ), SautiX442162/2 (66.14mg100 -1 ), SautiX442162/6 (57.36 mg100 -1 ), SautiX442162/4 (57.19 mg100 -1 ), SautiX442162/5 (55.99 mg100 -1 ). Eleven promising genotypes that recorded high yield and starch could be subjected to multi-location trail and incorporated into further breeding program.