Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas
Warm-season perennial vine grown as an annual, producing starchy, sweet tuberous roots. Thrives in Zones 5-11 with a minimum frost-free period of 90-120 days. Increasingly grown in northern regions using black plastic mulch and raised beds to boost soil temperatures. Highly nutritious and versatile, with growing consumer demand for fresh and value-added products.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Sweet potatoes are propagated vegetatively from slips (rooted sprouts) rather than seed. Slips are planted into warm soil (minimum 65°F at 4-inch depth) after all frost danger has passed. Well-drained sandy loam soils are ideal; heavy clay soils produce misshapen roots. The crop is not a heavy nitrogen feeder — approximately 50-80 lbs N/acre is typical, with higher rates risking excessive vine growth at the expense of root formation. Potassium is critical (120-150 lbs K/acre) for uniform root development, flavor, and storability. After harvest, roots must be cured at 85°F and 85-90% relative humidity for 7-10 days to heal wounds and convert starches to sugars. Properly cured sweet potatoes store 6-12 months at 55-60°F. Plant density is typically 12,000-15,000 plants per acre.
Growing Season
- Plant
- Late May to early June (after soil reaches 65°F) – Mid-June
- Harvest
- Late September – Mid-October (before first frost)
- Frost-free days
- 90+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 2,400 – 3,000
Yield
- Typical yield
- 500 bushels/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
- Labor
- 120 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
No buyer on record for this crop in the catalog's buyer network.
Price Trend Stable/Up
3-year price trend not recorded for this crop.
Supply Below Demand
No buyer network on record — cannot establish that regional demand absorbs additional supply.
Multiple Buyer Channels
0 recorded buyers and 4 documented market channels. Multiple routes to market.
Value-Added Potential
4 documented market channels, including value-added and direct-to-consumer routes.
Market Growth Projected
Mature vegetable market; growth over a 5-year horizon expected to track population rather than outpace it.
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Crop tolerates zones 5-11; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.
GDD Sufficient
Crop needs 2400 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.
Precipitation Compatible
Crop needs ~1 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.
Frost-Free Season OK
Crop needs 90 frost-free days; region provides ~180. Sufficient.
Chill Hours Met
Not applicable — annual crop has no winter chill requirement.
Climate Trend Favorable
Crop spans 7 hardiness zones (5-11). Wide adaptive range buffers against warming trend.
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
4 documented equipment requirements. Within range adaptable from general row-crop or orchard equipment.
Storage Available
2 documented storage/handling requirements, all achievable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.
Irrigation Compatible
Requires ~1 in. Deliverable with conventional drip or overhead irrigation.
Field Layout Suitable
Suited to the small-to-mid-size fragmented parcels typical of the region.
Labor Availability
120 labor hr/ac vs catalog 75th percentile 250 hr/ac. Manageable with typical farm labor.
Processing Proximity
No processing or cooperative buyer on record for this crop; product would need to travel or be sold fresh.
Equipment Requirements
planting
Water-wheel or mechanical transplanter. Hand planting viable at small scale.
cultivation
For forming raised beds essential for drainage and soil warming.
harvesting
Mechanical undercutter or chain digger. Hand digging used at small scale.
post_harvest
Climate-controlled space at 85°F, 85-90% RH for 7-10 day curing period. Essential for storability.
Storage Requirements
Curing
Temperature
80–85°F
Humidity
85–90%
Max Storage
10 days
Long-term dry storage
Temperature
55–60°F
Humidity
80–85%
Max Storage
365 days
Finance Fit
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue $5,500/ac vs catalog median $5,500/ac. Below median.
Input Costs Acceptable
Input cost not recorded; not penalising. Catalog 75th percentile is $5,387/ac.
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 0 years. Acceptable payback.
Insurance Available
No federal crop insurance recorded for this crop; risk sits with the grower.
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Net return per labor hour $10.00 ($1,200/ac over 120 hr/ac) vs catalog median $13.16. Below median.
Grants/Subsidies
Vegetable crops are eligible under the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | — |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $5,500 |
| Annual Operating Cost | —/acre |
| Establishment Cost | —/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $1,200 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Not available |
Source: NC State Agricultural & Resource Economics — Sweetpotato 2024 Enterprise Budget (2025)
Risk Fit
Manageable Pest/Disease
4 documented risk factors. Within the range manageable by conventional IPM.
Market Diversified
0 buyers, 4 channels. Not dependent on a single outlet.
Low Establishment Risk
0 years to full production. Low establishment exposure.
Climate Resilient
Tolerates zones 5-11 (7 zones). Broad tolerance indicates resilience to seasonal variability.
Regulatory Burden Low
No crop-specific licensing or reporting regime beyond standard food-safety and pesticide rules.
Diversifies Portfolio
Adds a vegetable revenue stream distinct from the region's grape-dominated base.
Known Risks
disease
Fungal disease (Ceratocystis fimbriata) causing black, bitter lesions on roots. Can spread rapidly in storage.
Soilborne fungi causing wilting, root decay, and reduced yields. More severe in poorly drained soils.
pest
Adults and larvae feed on vines and roots, causing extensive tunneling and rendering roots unmarketable.
weather
Sweet potatoes are extremely frost-sensitive. Even light frost kills vines and damages exposed roots.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Sweet Potato against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from Penn State Extension, NC State Extension, Cornell Vegetable Program, and USDA resources.
Economics data year: 2025 · Region: lake_erie View economics source →
48 tracked changes across 8 data categories