Climatic Effects on Sweetpotato Yield in Southern Ontario
Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas L) was one crop chosen for development in Ontario in response to demand for alternative crops to tobacco and increasing demand for nontraditional vegetables. A wide range of vegetable crops can be grown in the sandy soils on the north shore of lake Erie. In 1999, there were ≈75 acres of sweetpotatoes grown in Ontario. Lack of an early cultivar to fit a short, warm season was a factor limiting production of sweetpotatoes in southern Ontario. Over an 11–growing season period, cultivars of sweetpotato from several breeding programs in the United States were evaluated for suitability to Ontario climatic conditions. Planting to harvest date season totals for heat units, precipitation, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), potential evapotranspiration, and solar radiation were calculated. Yield was regressed on these climatic variables using multiple linear regression. Of the cultivars evaluated, `Beauregard' replaced `Jewel' as the local industry standard after one season's evaluation. Of the numbered lines evaluated, NC9317 appears suitable for commercial trials. Yields varied greatly among years, and the seasonal VPD explained the largest amount of variation in year-to-year yield. Cultivars vary in their response to seasonal VPD. Yield of `Beauregard' increased with increasing seasonal VPD while NC9317 decreased. Cultivars require ability to yield in a short season and the ability to consistently produce under a range of atmospheric VPDs dictated by interannual climatic variation.