Nine consultations were held from April 2015 to May 2019, with participation from diverse actors in the seed system i.e. researchers from CIP and NARIs, NGOs implementing sweetpotato projects, regulators, seed producers and farmers. Participants say that the community of practice (CoP) is the best way to experience sharing, learn …

Strengthened the capacity of national partners (National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and Bayero University(BUK)) to produce and manage high quality planting material of breeder, pre-basic and basic seeds: 21 net tunnels, three screen houses, and irrigation facilities were established (Fig. 1). Established, built and strengthened the capacity of Decentralized …

In the Lake Zone, Tanzania, between 2009-2012, 88 decentralized vine multipliers (DVMs) were established by the Marando Bora project. Five years later, the follow up study traced 81 of the DVMs. 40% of the DVMs had sold planting material of Marando Bora varieties in the last year; a further 16% …

CIP conducted a financial feasibility study for a private seed company engaged in early generation seed (EGS) production for root, tuber and banana crops. The study showed that the business is financially viable in the long-run based on the existing business for production and sale of banana, cassava, sweetpotato and …

A user-friendly tool to estimate the requirements for Early Generation Sweetpotato Seed (EGS) is now available for use by public sector seed producers. The method was first used in Uganda to estimate the seed requirement by root producers for quality seed of improved varieties; then estimates of the number of …

A study was conducted to understand the economic sustainability of basic seed enterprises to bridge the gap between pre-basic seed producers and decentralized vine multipliers. Four commercial seed multipliers were supported on a 2:3 (multiplier: CIP) cost-share basis. They were trained in entrepreneurial skills, marketing, business planning, and quality seed …

Two methods of protected vine conservation beds (insect protected net tunnel (Fig. 1) and miniscreenhouse (Fig. 2)) were compared with an open field control to assess cost effectiveness for quality seed production and subsequent root production. Mean percent Sweet Potato Virus Disease (SPVD) infection was not significantly different across methods …

Affordable insect-proof net tunnels proved effective in reducing virus-related degeneration in sweetpotato in Tanzania. Re-infection in high virus pressure area was prevented for up to 20 months and 18 months for Polista and Kabode varieties, respectively. Seed degeneration modeling showed that virus buildup could lead to significant yield loss after …

A nutrient media for multiplying pre-basic sweetpotato vines under a sandponics system was optimized. The vine multiplication rate for pre-basic seed multiplication increased by 22% using sandponics. The cost of producing a 3-node cutting has been reduced by $0.027. Root yields were 7.1 t/ha higher using sandponics sourced planting material …