Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas, Convolvulaceae) is an important food crop in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Lack of access to quality sweetpotato planting material after sweetpotato limits utilization of market oriented improved clones and new varieties. Obtaining clean planting material in the right quantity and quality is a challenge in the SSA region. Farmers often obtain planting materials from their own sources with multiple rooting, drawn from a previous crop or neighbors and face the risk of it being infected with sweetpotato viruses. The objective of this study was to examine the economic and physical yield performance of sandponics multiplication method by comparing with conventional soil method using optimal N-nutrient inputs. The performance of five sweetpotato cultivars (Irene, Delvia, Tanzania, Gweri, and Kabode) in the modified prototype sweetpotato nutrient media was evaluated. Vine production utilizing modified sandponics nutrient media with trellised plants was compared to the conventionally used soil media. Analysis of variance indicated that the main effects of cultivar and substrate were highly significant (p < 0.0001) for nodes produced, vine multiplication rate (VMR), number of cuttings produced, and vine length. In addition, cultivar by substrate interaction was highly significant at 0.01 probability level for nodes produced, VMR, and vine length. Vine multiplication rate was 33% higher in the sandponics system compared to the conventional soil method of multiplying sweetpotato vines. Among the cultivars studied, Irene was the most favorable cultivar with a VMR of 65.2 in sand and 45.5 in soil. The cost-effectiveness analysis indicates that the cost per cutting (i.e., 3–4 nodes) produced from sandponics method was 4.6 KSH (US$ 0.046) as compared to 3.1 KSH (US$ 0.031) per cutting produced from conventional method. Sandponics system is competitive due to its capability of increased VMRs. However, the optimal number of ratooning needs to be investigated to understand the economies of scale in future research.

中文翻译：

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在东非利用沙培技术提高甘薯（Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam) 前基础种子的快速繁殖

红薯（番薯, 旋花科) 是撒哈拉以南非洲地区 (SSA) 的重要粮食作物。甘薯种植后缺乏优质甘薯种植材料限制了市场导向的改良无性系和新品种的利用。在 SSA 地区，获得数量和质量合适的清洁种植材料是一项挑战。农民经常从自己的来源获得具有多重生根的种植材料，这些材料来自以前的作物或邻居，并面临感染甘薯病毒的风险。本研究的目的是通过与使用最佳 N 养分投入的传统土壤方法进行比较，检验沙培法繁殖方法的经济和物理产量表现。五个甘薯品种（Irene、Delvia、坦桑尼亚、Gweri、和 Kabode) 在改良的原型甘薯营养培养基中进行了评估。将使用带有棚架植物的改良沙盆栽培营养培养基的葡萄藤生产与常规使用的土壤培养基进行了比较。方差分析表明，品种和底物的主效应极显着（p< 0.0001) 用于生产的节点、藤蔓繁殖率 (VMR)、生产的插条数量和藤蔓长度。此外，栽培品种与基质的相互作用在产生的节、VMR 和藤蔓长度的概率水平为 0.01 时非常显着。与繁殖甘薯藤蔓的传统土壤方法相比，沙培系统中的藤蔓繁殖率高出 33%。在所研究的品种中，Irene 是最有利的品种，沙地 VMR 为 65.2，土壤 VMR 为 45.5。成本效益分析表明，沙培法生产的每株（即 3-4 个节点）的成本为 4.6 KSH（0.046 美元），而传统方法生产的每株成本为 3.1 KSH（0.031 美元）。Sandponics 系统由于其增加 VMR 的能力而具有竞争力。然而，