Evaluating the effect of variety and rooting agents and vegetative development of sweet potato vines · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author: Maketa, Rumbidzai
Title: Evaluating the effect of variety and rooting agents and vegetative development of sweet potato vines
Abstract: Sweet potatoes are a vital source of food, especially in rural areas, and their resilience to drought makes them a reliable crop in the face of climate change. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the effect of variety and rooting agent, and vegetative development of sweet potato vines. The research was conducted using a factorial experimental design laid down as a randomized complete block design. Vine length, number of roots, root length, and yield were observed daily; the data which was analyzed for variance using Genstat version 18. The results showed that there was an interaction between rooting agents and variety on all measured growth parameters (p<0.05). Zimbabwe Red variety had longer vines>longer roots>number of roots>yield than White Jewel variety. Integrating natural rooting agents such as Honey, with Zimbabwe Red promotes the achievement of roots and plant health, leading to increased yields. This helps farmers to attain better yields and supply food security to communities. It is therefore recommended that farmers should integrate effective rooting agents, especially Seradix and Honey, in sweet potato propagation.
Date: June 2025
Publisher: BUSE
Keywords: Sweet Potatoes Vines; Rooting Agents
Supervisor: Mr. Mutsengi