Japanese Sweetpotatoes: Production, Cultivars, and Possible Ancestry

Abstract

Sweetpotato has recently received much attention due to its many agricultural advantages such as its adaptability to different environmental conditions and its nutritional value. It has been grown in Japan for more than 400 years, and the bulk of the Japanese harvest is presently destined for fresh market consumption as well as for the food and beverage processing industry. This review begins by providing an overview of the commercial production and agronomic characteristics of sweetpotato cultivars in Japan. The paper deals with the possible ancestry of Japanese sweetpotatoes, and finally describes several orange- or purple-fleshed genotypes that are adapted well to cold northern climates and considered as valuable sources for enhancing the physiological functionality of this crop.