Biochemical Responses of Atacama and Blesbok Sweet Potato (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i> L.) Cultivars to Early Drought Stress.

ABSTRACT: Sweet potato is a nutrient-dense crop with the potential to improve food security, yet its productivity is constrained by drought stress. Metabolic profiling in sweet potato, particularly in response to abiotic stress, remains poorly understood, with limited knowledge on the metabolites contributing to drought response. The study aimed to profile and compare metabolites in drought-tolerant (cv Atacama) and drought-susceptible (cv Blesbok) sweet potato cultivars under water-deficient conditions. The cultivars were grown in a rainout shelter during the 2024 growing season at the Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable and Industrial Medicinal Plant (ARC-VIMP). The trial was laid out in a randomized block design with a plot size of 242 m squared with three drought treatment conditions, i.e.,

SUBMITTER: Makhubu FN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12655927 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature