Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is a member of the Convolvulaceae (morning glory family) that is thought to have originated in Central or South America but also has a secondary center of diversity in the southwest Pacific islands (95). It is grown in all tropical and subtropical areas of the world and consistently ranks among the 10 most important food crops worldwide on the basis of dry weight produced, yielding about 130 million metric tons per year on about 9 million hectares. The most intensive areas of production are in China and around the Great Lakes of East Africa, but it is also important in many other countries (95).
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