%0 Journal Article
%T Participatory evaluation of improved sweetpotato varieties in Eastern Tanzania
%A EA Masumba
%A H Kulembeka
%A SM Tollano
%A M Yongolo
%J African Crop Science Journal
%D 2004
%I 
%X Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is among the important subsistence food crops in eastern Tanzania. Sweetpotato is regarded as a food security crop since it bridges a hunger gap when cereals are still in the field. Recently, the crop has been commercialised and is a cash earner. On-farm trials were established in three villages in three districts of Coast and Dar-es-salaam regions. The villages are Pangani (Kibaha), Chanika (Ilala) and Matimbwa (Bagamoyo). Seven varieties were evaluated including 5 officially released varieties Jitihada, Vumilia, Mavuno, Sinia and Simama. Two local improved varieties, Carrot-C (orange-fleshed) and Ukerewe, were also included. The released varieties, with exception of Simama, were tested in the Lake zone of Tanzania only, prior to their release. Participatory variety evaluation involving researchers, extensionists and farmers was adopted in two consecutive seasons. Formal evaluation by researchers proved that a purple skinned and cream fleshed (with orange pigments) variety Ukerewe has generally high establishment, partial resistance to sweetpotato mosaic virus disease and sweetpotato weevils (Cylas spp.). Farmers' assessment revealed the variety to be most preferred by producers and traders. Its purple skin colour increases its market value. Root yield, marketability, resistance to drought, pests and diseases were the main criteria used by farmers in the selection of sweetpotato varieties. Key Words: Ipomea batatus, mosaic virus, orange fleshed, weevil R¨¦SUM¨¦ La patate douce (Ipomea batatas L.) est un important aliment de subsistance dans l'Est de la Tanzanie. Elle est vue comme l'aliment assurant la s¨¦curit¨¦ alimentaire quand les c¨¦r¨¦ales sont encore dans les champs. R¨¦cemment, la plante a ¨¦t¨¦ commercialis¨¦e et devenue une source de revenue. Des exp¨¦riences sur ferme ¨¦taient ¨¦tablies dans trois villages de trois districts de la cote et de Dar-es-Salaam. Ces villages sont Pangani (Kibaha), Chanika (Ilala) et Matimbwa (Bagamoyo). Sept vari¨¦t¨¦s ¨¦taient ¨¦valu¨¦es dont cinq officiellement largu¨¦es: Jitihada, Vumilia, Mavuno, Sinia et Simama. Deux vari¨¦t¨¦s locales am¨¦lior¨¦es, carrot-C (orange graiss¨¦) et Ukereme ¨¦taient aussi inclues. Les vari¨¦t¨¦s largu¨¦es, ¨¤ l'exception de Simama, ¨¦taient test¨¦es dans la zone du lac Tanganyika avant leur largage. Une ¨¦valuation participative des vari¨¦t¨¦s impliquant les chercheurs, des agents de terrain et des fermiers ¨¦tait adopt¨¦e pour deux saisons cons¨¦cutives. Une ¨¦valuation, formelle par les chercheurs montra que les vari¨¦t¨¦s ¨¤ peau violette et cr¨¨me graiss¨¦e (avec des pigments orang¨¦s) a g¨¦n¨¦ralement un haut niveau d'¨¦tablissement, une r¨¦sistance partielle au virus mosa que et des charan ons de la patate douce (Cylas spp.). L'¨¦valuation des fermiers a r¨¦v¨¦l¨¦ que la vari¨¦t¨¦ est pr¨¦f¨¦r¨¦e par les producteurs et les vendeurs. La couleur violette de sa peau augmenta sa valeur commerciale. Le rendement des racines, la possibilit¨¦ d'¨ºtre commercialis¨¦, sa r¨¦sistance au d¨¦ficit en eau, l
%U http://www.ajol.info/index.php/acsj/article/view/27886