Another Heirloom Sweet Potato patented

Fusion_power · December 29, 2010

Just for background, sweetpotatoes are notorious for producing somatic mutations. They usually affect something like color, shape, or growth habit. The variety Puerto Rico consistently produces a mutation that causes blotched color on the outside of the roots. Beauregard is an orange flesh sweetpotato but it has produced at least one white mutant. Growers have to watch for the variants and cull them out before planting for the next season's sprouts. Several such mutants have become successful cultivars in their own right.

DarJones

December 29, 2010	#15
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Just for background, sweetpotatoes are notorious for producing somatic mutations. They usually affect something like color, shape, or growth habit. The variety Puerto Rico consistently produces a mutation that causes blotched color on the outside of the roots. Beauregard is an orange flesh sweetpotato but it has produced at least one white mutant. Growers have to watch for the variants and cull them out before planting for the next season's sprouts. Several such mutants have become successful cultivars in their own right. DarJones