Open Agriculture. 2017; 2: 83-90 and measured parameters, was most appreciated and was the farmers' first choice, followed by varieties TIB-440060 and 'Bela bela'.
Keywords:Orange-fleshed sweetpotato, on-farm Demonstration, participatory varietal selection, sweetpotato
IntroductionSweetpotato is cultivated in all the regions of Côte d'Ivoire for consumption and also as a source of income. It is a dicotyledonous plant called Ipomoea batatas (Lam.) that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae, and a tuberous root crop important for food security (Ermias et al. 2013). Globally it is among the important food crops in the world, after wheat, rice, maize, Irish potato, and barley and it ranks second following Irish potato in the world's root and tuber crops production and third after Irish potato and cassava in consumption in several parts of tropical Africa (Teshome et al. 2012). Sweetpotato is also a good source of calcium, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and beta carotene (provitamin A). Varieties with orange flesh contain particularly high levels of beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the human body (Sakamoto et al. 1987); while there is moderate amount of beta carotene in yellow-fleshed and none in white-fleshed varieties (ACIAR, 2010 andStathers et al. 2013). Vitamin A is involved in building the body's immune system to defend against disease and blindness (WHO, 2014). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which is associated with low consumption of products rich in vitamin A is common and is a serious health problem in many developing countries (including Côte d'Ivoire). According to FAO (2009) (OFSP) is hampered by the lack of genetic resources and planting material. To evaluate and release OFSP varieties, on-farm demonstration tests were conducted with women farmer groups in Bondoukou, Nassian, Korhogo and Bondiali in the north and northeast Côte d'Ivoire. Six varieties-'Kabode', 'Kakamega7' ('Irene'), 'Tacha', 'Bela Bela', 'Vita' and TIB-440060-were evaluated in comparison with locally grown varieties. The on-farm demonstration was laid out in a randomised complete block design with replicated three times per location. Assessments were made on yield, disease and pests; and consumer preference on attractiveness of skin color and flesh of the root (fresh and boiled), taste, texture and starchiness. Results showed that introduced varieties have generally recorded higher yields than the local varieties: Yields of about 25 t/ha have been recorded on the sites. The best average yield of about 15 t/ha, was recorded for TIB-440060 and 'Irene' varieties. Farmers' acceptance of OFSP varieties based on the attraction of their color, the dry matter content and taste was more than 90%. At the end of the sensory tests, 'Irene', which achieved the best compromise between all observed