WHAT IS SPVRP?
The Sweet Potato Virus Reversion Project (SPVRP) is working to provide greater understanding of the natural ability of some East African sweet potato varieties to resist infection. Worldwide, sweet potato production is seriously constrained by viruses such as sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus and sweet potato feathery mottle virus, which are capable of causing devastating crop losses. Certain varieties of sweet potato crops have been proven to resist these virus infections, a trait that, if harnessed, could prevent yield losses of up to 98%. SPVRP has been investigating this reversion trait with the aim of breeding new virus-resistant sweet potato varieties and providing cheap and sustainable planting material for smallholder farmers.
WHAT ARE ITS AIMS?
The project focuses on the following objectives:
- To test for rates of reversion from sweet potato viruses in virus-resistant cultivars
- To determine titers of sweet potato viruses
- To determine yield for laboratory-raised virus-free planting material and farmer-derived planting material
WHO IS DELIVERING SPVRP?
- Makerere University
- Agricultural Research Organisation, Volcani Center
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SPVRP:
Dr Peter Wasswa
Project dates:
2014–2018
Crop(s):
Sweet potato
Project focus location(s): Uganda