TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, under the Ministry of Agriculture, has used biodegradable plastic films to cover sweet potato plants to boost production.
The institute said that due to climate change, sweet potatoes often face drought and low temperatures during their autumn and winter growing seasons, leading to a declining trend in yields, per CNA.
The method helps preserve soil moisture and raise soil temperature. It can also greatly cut the need for weeding and extra fertilization, reducing manual labor.
The institute tested the method using regular and biodegradable plastic films. Under the same climate conditions, uncovered sweet potato plants yielded 11,000 kg per hectare, while those covered with regular films produced 2.5 times more and those with biodegradable films nearly three times more.
Biodegradable films cost about NT$82,000 (US$2,624) per hectare, but the method still boosts profit by around NT$60,000 per hectare compared with traditional cultivation, the institute said.
The used plastic films can be recycled or buried in the soil after the crop harvest, where they will naturally decompose, the institute added.
Demand for sweet potatoes is rising, the Agriculture and Food Agency said. Domestic annual demand for sweet potatoes is 230,000 tonnes, while domestic production is about 218,000 tonnes. Taiwan imported 2,142 tonnes of sweet potatoes last year, mainly from Vietnam and Japan, up nearly 1,900 tonnes from 2011.
Sweet potatoes in Taiwan are mainly grown in Yunlin, Changhua, Taichung, and Tainan, with Shuilin Township in Yunlin accounting for 20% of total output. The crop covers about 10,000 hectares nationwide and is valued at more than NT$3 billion annually.
The Yunlin County Government said Tainung No. 57 sweet potatoes grown in the township have moderate starch content and turn creamy when cooked, making them a key ingredient in many of Taiwan’s processed sweet potato products.
