A sweeter life through sweet potatoes

LiJia Bailu village in Feixian county, Linyi, Shandong province has enjoyed a bountiful sweet potato harvest this year.

The mature sweet potatoes boast a vibrant color in Feixian county, Linyi, East China's Shandong province, bringing joy to local farmers. [Photo by Song Han for chinadaily.com.cn]

Xinzhuang town, where LiJia Bailu village is located, has a long history of cultivating sweet potatoes. At present, the area has some 10,000 mu (approximately 666.67 hectares) that is used to grow this crop.

But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. The village once faced challenges such as the degradation of sweet potato varieties, an inadequate supply of healthy seedlings, and outdated cultivation techniques.

To address these issues, Feixian county has introduced superior sweet potato varieties, including Ji Shu 25, Ji Shu 33 and Yan Shu 25. Authorities have also guided farmers to adopt innovative seedling breeding technologies and implemented the high furrow drip irrigation seedling breeding mode.

Combining drip irrigation, mulching, and fertilization, these initiatives have resulted in a 20 percent increase in growth rates, a nearly 30 percent reduction in production costs, and a virus-free seedling rate exceeding 90 percent.

County authorities have also prioritized the development of sweet potato storage and deep processing industries. By expanding the industrial chain, they have effectively enhanced the economic gains of the sweet potato farming cooperative, driving revenues up to 1.5 million yuan ($210,320) in 2022. (Edited by He Yuge)