The Effectiveness of Different Types of Lighting on the Initiation of Ipomoea batatas Slips

Abstract

The objective was to determine the effect of different types of lighting on the growth of Ipomoea batatas slips. It is important to know if different lighting affects the rate of initation sweet potato slips because some areas have short growing seasons and need to start these slips earlier. The hypothesis was Ipomoea batatas slips will start better under LED; it will provide the red and blue light that the plants need to complete photosynthesis and heat which is also needed for plant growth, therefore improving the rate in which the Ipomoea batatas produce slips. This research is valuable to sweet potato growers to help them know how to better control their growing environment for Ipomoea batatas slips. Twelve Ipomoea batatas were each placed in a 0.95L jar filled with tap water. The twelve jars were placed under four different types of lighting; which included: a grow light, LED light, natural sunlight, and a group in the dark. The number of slips that sprouted and how long it took them to sprout were recorded for each plant.

Slips produced under the grow light, had an average of 13 slips in 19 days. The plants under natural light produced slips in 35 days with an average of four slips per plant. The Ipomoea batatas grown in the dark produced an average of one slip after 48 days. The Ipomoea batatas under the LED light, which was experimental group two, produced an average of eight slips in 23 days. Experimental group two took four days longer to produce slips and had an average produced five less slips than those grown under the grow light therefore the hypothesis was not supported. An Anova statistical test was preformed and the f value was 4.017, which means there was a difference in the data. The p value was 0.05 which means any difference in the data was significant.