Rolle von Kalium und Zink bei Süsskartoffeln

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a dicotyledonous plant belonging to the Convolvulaceae family. It is cultivated as a starchy food crop in tropical, subtropical, and frost-free temperate climates around the world. It is believed to have originated in Central America and the northwestern part of South America. Sweet potatoes are grown in over 100 countries. They rank seventh among all food crops worldwide in terms of total production, thirteenth in terms of production value, and fifth in terms of caloric contribution to human nutrition. In India, they are primarily cultivated in Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Approximately 80 percent of the world's sweet potatoes are grown in Asia, 15 percent in Africa, and about 5 percent in the rest of the world. The total area cultivated with sweet potatoes worldwide is estimated at 7.95 million hectares, with a production of 104.26 million tons. In India, sweet potatoes cover an area of 111,000 hectares and produce 1.132 million tons of tubers, with a productivity of 10.1 metric tons per hectare.