Enhancing local production capacity for propagating commercial sweet potato planting material through improved greenhouse systems

加拿大的红薯消费量正在增加，因此块茎进口量也在增加。在加拿大，扩大商业红薯生产以满足这一日益增长的消费市场的重要性和日益增长的兴趣。然而，一个主要的生产限制是种植材料的繁殖（卡瓦）。在淡季，加拿大的气候条件限制了泥沼的生长，而美国的情况并非如此。因此，加拿大甘薯种植者目前必须依赖美国的种植材料。在加拿大的温室里生产甘薯是一种选择，但可能成本高昂，而且劳动密集型。因此，在适当的温室环境下开发高效、经济的技术种植方法以确保最佳的成功是很重要的。本研究将在受控环境的生长室内与改进的被动式太阳能温室系统中对比滑动传播方法，以确定最有效的商业生产滑动的方法。然后，生产出来的卡瓦将在商业生产的现场生长条件下进行现场测试。

Sweet potato consumption is increasing in Canada, thus tuber imports are also increasing. There is significant and increasing interest in expanding commercial sweet potato production in Canada to address this growing consumer market. However, one main production limitation is the propagation of planting material (slips). Canadian climate conditions restrict the growing of slips during off season months while the same is not true of the United States (U.S). So Canadian sweet potato growers currently must rely on planting material from the U.S. Sweet potato slip production in greenhouses in Canada is an option but can be expensive and labor-intensive. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient and economical technical growing methodology for producing slips under suitable greenhouse settings that ensure optimum success. This study will contrast slip propagation methods, in a controlled environment growth room versus a modified passive solar greenhouse system to determine the most efficient way to commercially produce slips. The slips produced will then be field tested in field growing conditions for commercial production. The results will provide Canadian seed businesses/propagators an economically feasible process to grow sweet potato slips commercially in greenhouse systems with modified passive solar settings. Using this methodology, local slip producers can provide a higher quality product for growers, impacting crop success and improve yield resulting in further economic gain. Furthermore, local growers will have added control over the availability and quality of planting material. Increasing knowledge and expertise for growing sweet potato slips in Canada will lead to a possible expansion of sweet potato production acreage. Increasing the seeded sweet potato acres will help Canada meet growing consumer demand. As well, the further adoption of modified passive solar greenhouse systems promotes passive energy based technology that will reduce environmental impact and provide year-round production options.