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
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Market Channels
Climate Fit
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Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
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
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
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
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
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 →
23 tracked changes across 8 data categories