Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.1, 11-19 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 13 4 Nutritional Value and Health Benefits 4.1 Detailed analysis of nutritional components Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) are quite interesting. Different colors and parts have very different nutritional values (Wang et al., 2016). The orange-fleshed ones have a lot of beta-carotene, which is good for the eyes (Alam, 2021); the purple-fleshed ones have a high content of anthocyanins and a strong antioxidant effect; the white-fleshed ones may look ordinary, but they are rich in carbohydrates. When it comes to orange-fleshed varieties, Bangladesh found that the differences between the two varieties, BARI SP8 and SP7, are quite obvious. One has more carotenoids and the other has a high polyphenol content (Alam et al., 2016). The situation in Nigeria is different. The red variety has more protein and the yellow variety has more water (Muhammad et al., 2022), but both contain essential minerals such as potassium and magnesium. So when choosing sweet potatoes, you can't just look at the appearance, you have to see what specific nutrients you need to supplement. 4.2 Health benefits assessment for consumers There are many benefits of sweet potatoes. Especially the orange-fleshed ones (OFSP), which are high in beta-carotene, which is particularly useful for improving vitamin A deficiency-this is a big problem in many developing countries and can effectively prevent night blindness (Alam, 2021). The purple-fleshed ones are also not bad, with high anthocyanin content, good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and even anti-cancer (Shekhar et al., 2015). These ingredients are helpful in preventing cardiovascular diseases and so on. Interestingly, sweet potatoes are also good for controlling blood sugar. Not only is the glycemic index low, but the fiber content is also high. In addition, the phenolic acids and flavonoids in it (Wang et al., 2016) are quite friendly to diabetics. Recent studies have found that it can actually protect the liver (Laveriano-Santos et al., 2022), and it also has good antibacterial effects, which is very beneficial to intestinal health. From this point of view, sweet potatoes are really an all-round player. 5 Environmental Impact Assessment 5.1 Impact of breeding and agronomic practices on ecosystems When it comes to growing sweet potatoes, it is really important to choose the right variety and planting method. Interestingly, if you use organic methods to grow them, the microorganisms in the soil will become more diverse and the nutrients will be richer (Yang et al., 2019). Compared with chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers have another advantage-they can reduce harmful metals such as cadmium and nickel in the soil (Sapakhova et al., 2023), which is much more environmentally friendly. Speaking of water conservation, some drought-resistant varieties are now quite powerful and can grow well even in water shortages. The reason why these varieties are drought-resistant is that they have special genetic mechanisms in their bodies. When drought occurs, they can sense signals and then activate the synthesis of some protective proteins, such as LEA and AQP (Figure 1) (Sapakhova et al., 2023). Although the specific mechanism is a bit complicated, in simple terms, it allows sweet potatoes to survive well even in water shortage conditions. So, choosing the right variety and planting it scientifically can not only protect the soil but also save water, killing two birds with one stone. Planting sweet potatoes is actually quite helpful for agricultural diversity. Think about it, planting different varieties of sweet potatoes together can not only make crops more disease-resistant, but also improve the soil (Yang et al., 2019). Especially the orange-fleshed ones, which are high in vitamin A, are a blessing for people who don’t have access to a variety of foods (Garg et al., 2018). But then again, the selection of varieties also depends on the local conditions. Recently, some new varieties have been specially cultivated for specific environments (Ojwang' et al., 2023), which not only protects genetic resources, but also makes sustainable use of agricultural diversity. In the final analysis, planting sweet potatoes is not only for yield, but also for long-term development. 5.2 Integration of sustainable agricultural practices If you want to grow sweet potatoes sustainably, water and fertilizer management are indeed the key. Although organic farming is a bit more troublesome, it does not use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and the crops grown are not only nutritious, but also more friendly to the land (Pacifico and Paris, 2016). There are some interesting drought-resistant varieties now, and they can save a lot of water when combined with scientific water use
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