Molecular Soil Biology 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 175-187 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 1 76 population continues to grow and dietary demands increasingly shift toward more sustainable and nutritious food sources, there is a growing need to enhance both the productivity and quality of sweet potato cultivation. This need is particularly urgent in light of climate change, which presents new challenges to agricultural productivity and stability. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the practical approaches to improving sweet potato yield. It will cover key aspects such as variety selection, soil management practices, planting techniques, water management strategies, pest and disease management, weed control strategies, Nutrient management and fertilization, as well as harvesting handling. The review will offer practical guidelines and recommendations that have the potential to significantly improve sweet potato yields, with the promise of positively impacting food security and the agricultural economy. By adopting these strategies, farmers can enhance productivity, leading to increased income and fostering sustainable development in the sweet potato industry. Figure 1 Factors influencing sweet potato industry 2 Variety Selection 2.1 Importance of choosing high-yield varieties Selecting high-yield varieties is crucial for enhancing sweet potato production, especially in regions facing food security challenges. In the main sweet potato production areas in Benin, A survey conducted among 480 farmers from the primary sweet potato production areas in Benin highlighted the key criteria used by farmers in selecting sweet potato varieties (Ahoudou et al., 2023). The analysis revealed that high root yield is considered the most important factor in variety selection. This preference for high-yielding varieties is consistent with findings from other studies, which confirm that yield is a primary concern for farmers (Zawedde et al., 2014; Adeola et al., 2019). Research has shown that genetic variability within sweet potato populations provides a significant opportunity for selecting superior genotypes with desirable traits, such as high yield, quality, and stress resistance (Otoboni et al., 2020; Vargas et al., 2020; Mahmud et al., 2021). The selection of genotypes such as CERAT31-01, CERAT21-02, and CERAT51-30 has demonstrated promising results in terms of yield improvement (Otoboni et al., 2020). In the face of climate change, developing and selecting high-yielding varieties that can adapt to specific
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==