The experiment was conducted in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate and characterize fifteen in-country sweet potato accessions for root characteristics and root yield, plant habits, ground cover, severity of root damage by Cylas puncticollis and Meloidogyne incognita and identify duplications. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed for number of roots per plot, salable roots per plot, unsalable roots per plot and root yield. The highest number of roots per plot, salable roots and root tuber yield were given by E 10 , followed by B 21 while the lowest came from E 17 . The result indicated B 26 as highly susceptible to C. puncticollis, E 3 , E 11 , E 6 , E 27 and TIS 87/0087 were resistant, while B 6 , E 5 , B 2 , E 17 , B 21 , E 14 , E 7 , B 23 and E 10 were highly resistant to the pest. Seven accessions (E 5 , B 6 , B 2 , E 14 , E 7 , B 23 and E 10 ) were highly resistant, five accessions (E 3 , B 26 , E 11 , E 2 and TIS 87/0087) showed moderate resistance while B 2 , E 6 and E 17 were highly susceptible to root knot disease. Ground cover of less than 50% was identified with B 21 (erect type), the semi-erect types (E 5 , E 6 , and B 23 ) had ground cover of 50-75%, while the spreading types (B 6 , B 2 , E 11 , E 17 , E 14 and E 7 ) had 76-90% ground cover. The extremely spreading types (E 3 , B 26 and E 27 ) had more than 90% ground cover. Six accessions (E 5 , E 3 , E 6 , E 14 , B 23 and E 10 ) had white skin, seven (B 6 , B 26 , B 2 , E 27 , E 17 , E 7 and TIS 87/0087) were pale pink while two (E 11 and B 12 ) were pink. The root flesh of one accession (B 6 ) was white, three yellow, while the remaining eleven accessions were creamy, and E 27 and TIS 87/0087 were duplicates.
