The Korean Journal of Crop Science ISSN:0252-9777(Print) 2287-8432(Online) 한국작물학회지

This study was conducted to determine the degree of reduction in the yield of sweetpotato subjected to different shading treatments according to the growing season of the typical viscous sweetpotato ‘Hogammi’ and the powdery sweetpotato ‘Jinyulmi’. Shading was provided using commercially available shading nets (55% and 75% shading level), and the treatments were applied at the following stages of storage root growth: SFS: the storage root formation stage (planting-50^th day), SSS: the storage root swelling stage (50-90^th day), and SAS: the storage root actively swelling Stage (90-120^th day). The growth characteristics according to shading treatments during each growth period, the number of tubers obtained at harvest, and sugar contents were investigated. For both assessed cultivars, there was no significant difference between the control group and the 55% shading treated group with respect to the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II under different shading treatments, whereas the 75% shading group showed slightly higher values than the control group. In both cultivars, the contents of chlorophyll a and b tended to increase in plants subjected to shading treatments compared with the control plants, particularly that of chlorophyll b. Compared with the control group, the chlorophyll b content of ‘Hogammi’ subjected to 55% and 75% shading increased by 47% and 41%, respectively, whereas that of ‘Jinyulmi’ increased by 39% and 34%, respectively. We also detected reductions in the dry weights of the above- and belowground parts of the two varieties in response to shading compared with the control, with the reduction in the dry weight of belowground parts being significant. Furthermore, in both varieties, the T/R rate tended to increase in response to shading treatment. Owing to the lack of sunlight, both cultivars tended to suppress the formation and enlargement of tuber roots. Consequently, post-harvest yield analysis revealed that under shading treatments, both cultivars were characterized by poor tuber root growth according to growing season, with the yield of ‘Hogammi’ showing a greater reduction compared with that of ‘Jinyulmi’. In addition, we found that the higher shading level also significantly reduced yields. Compared with the storage root formation and storage root actively swelling stages, shading treatments during the storage root swelling stage significantly affected yield reduction in both varieties.