People in Papua New Guinea started practising agriculture around 7,000 - 10,000 years ago. The oldest evidence for this is in the  Kuk Swamp area, where planting, digging and staking of plants, and possibly drainage have been used to cultivate  taro,  banana,  sago and  yam. Sweet potatoes originated in Central America and are thought to have been introduced into Papua New Guinea about 1,200 years ago. The sweet potato is high in carbohydrates and vitamin A and its edible leaves also provide protein, vitamins and minerals. Sweet potato which is locally known as Kaukau is a major food in PNG and dominates production in in Papua New Guinea. The use of composted mounds in sweet potato-based farming systems is an important agronomic practice in the Highlands of PNG. Nutrient dynamics in this type of farming system is not known. This study aims to assess the effect of two compost types, Lucerne (Medicago sativa) and Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarium) under two placement depth levels of 10 and 34 cm on nitrate (NO3-) distribution and sweet potato rooting length and yield. Nitrate concentration was determined at 25 and 50 cm depths respectively. High amounts of NO3- were observed initially across all treatments, which then consistently decreased proportionately with soil water volume over a four months period. Treatments had a significant effect on yield (p=0.05) and root distribution (p=0.05). Roots were more abundant at the top 10 cm of the soil in all treatments indicating effective root zone. Tuber yield was high under Lucerne for both depths and Sugarcane at 10 cm depth.

Application of chemistry for higher yields in sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) cultivation in Papua New Guinea

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.