How Many Tons of Sweet Potatoes Per Hectare?

Last updated on May 12, 2025

Let’s Talk Yields, Real Numbers, and What Actually Works. So, how many tons of sweet potatoes can you expect per hectare? Here’s the straight-up answer: yields range from 15 to 35 tons per hectare, depending on soil health, variety, climate, spacing, and how you manage pests and nutrition.

But hey, numbers don’t tell the whole story. If you’re a grower, student, or agri-entrepreneur looking to scale production, I’m here to break it down. Let’s talk results you can trust, backed by field trials, real farmers, and expert data—no fluff.

Average Sweet Potato Yields Around the World

Let’s kick off with real benchmarks:

• Smallholder farms: 10–18 tons/ha
• Mid-sized, well-managed farms: 20–25 tons/ha
• High-efficiency farms (optimized inputs): 30–35+ tons/ha

A ResearchGate study showed average yields between 22.83 and 23.12 tons/ha, while Oklahoma State University reported 300–350 bushels per acre (around 17–20 tons/ha).

But those numbers come with context. In drought years or with late planting, yields can fall as low as 10–12 tons/ha. On the flip side, with fertigation, virus-free vines, and proper bed prep, I’ve seen trial plots exceed 40 tons/ha in Kenya and India.

Key Factors That Impact Yield

1. Soil Quality

Good yields start underground. Sweet potatoes thrive in well-drained, sandy loam soils with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Heavy clay? Nope. That’ll choke your roots and slash tuber size.

Use raised beds or ridges to avoid waterlogging, and add compost or poultry manure to boost structure and nutrients. Deep tilling before planting helps break up compacted layers and improves root penetration.

Expert Tip:

In acidic soils (pH < 5.0), apply 1–2 tons of lime per hectare 3–4 months before planting. Add biochar or farmyard manure to improve structure and long-term nutrient cycling.

Soil Testing Strategy:

Get your soil tested annually. A test costs less than one bag of fertilizer but gives you a game plan to avoid waste and nutrient lockout. Look for levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca), which affect tuber bulking.

2. Climate and Rainfall

Sweet potatoes are heat-lovers but they don’t like it too wet or too cold.

• Ideal temp: 21–29°C (70–85°F)
• Rainfall sweet spot: 750–1,500 mm annually
• Bad timing: Heavy rain near harvest leads to rot and cracked tubers.

Regions like southern Nigeria, Uganda, and southeastern U.S. offer ideal growing windows. But even in less-than-perfect areas, good planning can boost your numbers.

Expert Tip:

Avoid planting too early in the rainy season. Let the initial rains loosen the soil, then plant when the rain becomes more stable. This reduces early rot risk.

If you’re in a semi-arid area? Don’t panic. Many sweet potato varieties can survive moderate drought. Just don’t skip weeding and ridge maintenance—they help trap water where roots can reach it.

3. The Right Variety for Your Zone

Not all sweet potatoes are built the same. Some are bred for high yield, others for taste or vine mass. Choose what fits your goals.

Top performers include:

• TIS 87/0087 (Nigeria): 20–25 tons/ha
• Beauregard (U.S.): 18–30 tons/ha
• Ejumula (East Africa): Over 35 tons/ha in trial plots
• Kakamega (Kenya): Popular for both yield and flavor

Match your variety to your local conditions and market demand. High-yield varieties don’t always win if storage life or taste is off.

Agronomist Insight:

Consider maturity days (from planting to harvest). Some early-maturing varieties (90–100 days) yield fast but may be less storable. Late-maturing types (120–150 days) bulk up more but need more inputs and patience.

4. Spacing and Plant Population

Here’s where we clear up a common mistake: more vines don’t always mean more yield.

• Best spacing: 30 cm between plants, 1 m between rows
• That’s about: 33,000–36,000 plants per hectare

Too tight = small, tangled tubers. Too wide = wasted space. Stick to recommended spacing and your tubers will size up just right.

Research Insight:

A study by the International Potato Center (CIP) found optimal spacing resulted in 32% higher marketable yield compared to overcrowded plots.

Also, don’t plant too deep. Keep slips shallow—just enough to anchor. Deep planting delays vine emergence and wastes energy.

5. Fertilizer and Crop Nutrition

You can’t grow something from nothing. Sweet potatoes pull nutrients fast, especially potassium, which directly impacts tuber size.

Nutrient guide (per hectare):

• Nitrogen (N): 60–90 kg
• Phosphorus (P): 40–60 kg
• Potassium (K): 100–150 kg

Want to go organic? Compost, poultry droppings, and wood ash can cover most needs—just get your soil tested and supplement wisely.

According to the FAO, a 15-ton yield removes roughly 70 kg N, 20 kg P, and 110 kg K from the soil.

Expert Strategy:

Apply nutrients in split doses—half at planting, half four weeks later. This prevents leaching and keeps nutrients available when vines are actively growing.

And watch your nitrogen—too much = massive vines, few tubers. It’s a balance.

6. Pest and Disease Pressure

Here’s the harsh truth: pests can steal 20–40% of your yield if you’re not careful. Major culprits include:

• Sweet potato weevils
• Nematodes
• Fungal blights
• Flea beetles

Control weeds early—especially in the first 30–45 days—and rotate crops to lower disease pressure. That first month determines your final yield more than most folks realize.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Tip:

Use pheromone traps for weevils, apply neem-based bio-pesticides, and avoid storing planting vines near harvested roots to prevent cross-contamination.

Don’t forget: clean fields, quick harvests, and proper curing = fewer postharvest losses.

Smart Ways to Boost Yield Without Breaking the Bank

Ready to scale up but working on a budget? Here’s how to grow more without doubling your costs.

• Start With Clean, Virus-Free Vines: Avoid cuttings from infected fields. Certified or tissue-culture slips give you a clean slate.
• Practice Crop Rotation: Don’t grow sweet potatoes on the same land year after year. Rotate with legumes or maize to reset disease cycles.
• Mulch Wisely: Use dry grass, straw, or banana leaves to trap soil moisture and block weeds—especially in dry or sandy zones.
• Use Local Inputs: Poultry manure, compost, and ash go a long way. You don’t need fancy fertilizers if you balance organics smartly.
• Use Drip Irrigation: In drier zones, a simple drip line system can boost yields by 20–30%. You’ll save water and give your plants just what they need, right at the root zone.

And if drip is too pricey? Even manual bucket irrigation early on can help you avoid transplant shock and boost survival.

What Can You Realistically Aim For?

Let’s be honest—no one wakes up one day and magically pulls 35 tons per hectare out of the ground. High yields take intention, consistency, and a bit of trial and error. But the good news? No matter where you’re starting from, there’s room to grow.

So, how much sweet potato yield should you aim for?

Like I mentioned before, it depends on a few key factors:

• Your current farming setup
• Input levels (fertilizers, irrigation, seed quality)
• Pest and disease pressure
• Labor availability and timing
• The variety you’re growing

With all that in mind, here’s a realistic breakdown of yield expectations across different levels of farming practice:

Yield Expectations Based on Farm Type

Farm Type	Typical Yield (tons/ha)	Potential with Improvements
Low-input, traditional farm	10–15	18–20
Moderate-input farm	18–22	25–30
High-input, mechanized farm	25–30	35–40+
Research plots	30–35+	40–45+

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If You’re a Smallholder Farmer

If you’re working with limited inputs—maybe just compost, manual weeding, and rain-fed irrigation—hitting 12 to 15 tons per hectare is a solid starting point.

But don’t stop there! I’ve seen smallholders in Nigeria and Uganda increase their yields by 30–50% in just one season by making three simple changes:

1. Switching to virus-free vines
2. Planting on raised beds
3. Applying local compost at planting

Your realistic potential with improved spacing, disease-free vines, and better weed control? Around 20 tons/ha—sometimes more.

Pro Tip: Even if you can’t afford synthetic fertilizers, rotating your crop and using animal manure or compost tea can make a huge difference.

If You’re Running a Mid-Sized, Organized Farm

Got some equipment, access to fertilizer, and a few labor hands to help with timely planting and weeding? Then you’re already playing in the 18–25 tons/ha zone.

With just a few tweaks—like adding drip irrigation, pest scouting, or switching to improved varieties like Beauregard or Kabode—you can push that number up to 30 tons/ha.

Let me tell you about a project in Benue, Nigeria, where a farmer using compost and raised ridges went from 16 tons/ha to 24 tons/ha in one season. No chemicals, no big machines. Just better planning and spacing.

If You’re Running a High-Efficiency or Trial Operation

This is where things get exciting. With fertigation, row plastic, lab-tested vines, and weekly field monitoring, you can hit 35+ tons/ha pretty consistently. I’ve seen research stations in Kenya and India do just that.

One trial plot in Kakamega, Kenya, hit 35.6 tons/ha using:

• Organic matter
• Biofertilizers
• Consistent pest scouting

Yes, it was a trial. But it proves what’s possible when everything clicks.

Avoiding the Common Yield Killers

Even with the best intentions, things can go sideways. I’ve seen it happen more than once. Some of the biggest yield killers are:

• Planting too late in the season
• Poor drainage (leading to rot or stunted growth)
• Replanting infected vines
• Skipping weed control early on
• Ignoring soil tests

Even if you can’t afford every high-end tool, avoid these pitfalls and you’ll already be ahead of the game.

Case Studies from the Field

Let’s bring the theory down to earth—with real farmers, real fields, and real results.

One thing I always tell growers is: numbers on a page are just the starting point. You only get the full picture when you hear what happens on the ground. Let’s look into a few real-world success stories from different corners of the globe. Each one proves that with the right mix of technique, timing, and tools, you can seriously boost your sweet potato yields—no matter where you’re farming.

Benue State, Nigeria – Smallholder Revolution with Local Compost

• Farmer Type: Smallholder (2 hectares)
• Variety Used: TIS 87/0087
• Yield Before Intervention: 16 tons per hectare
• Yield After Raised Beds & Compost: 24 tons per hectare

Benue is often called the “food basket of the nation”—and for good reason. The soil is rich, and the people know farming. But for one smallholder I spoke with during a farmer group training in Makurdi, something wasn’t clicking. Year after year, his sweet potato field gave him a flat 16 tons/ha.

After attending a local extension workshop, he switched to raised beds, added locally made compost from goat droppings and kitchen waste, and adjusted his plant spacing to 30 cm × 100 cm. No synthetic fertilizers. No new machines. Just better technique.

Within a season, his yield shot up to 24 tons per hectare—a massive 50% increase!

This case proves you don’t need big budgets to get big results. Just the right knowledge and consistency.

Takeaway:

• Compost + raised beds = better aeration, tuber development, and drainage
• Local resources can outperform expensive inputs when used right
• Correct spacing gives every plant its own room to thrive

North Carolina, USA – High-Tech Meets High Yields

• Farm Setup: Fully mechanized, mid-sized commercial farm
• Variety Used: Beauregard
• Average Yield: 27 tons per hectare
• Techniques Used: Drip irrigation, fertigation, and monthly pest scouting

In North Carolina—the sweet potato capital of the U.S.—growers are pushing the boundaries with technology. One farm in Nash County invited us to tour their setup, and wow, it was a textbook example of smart agriculture. They use GPS-guided tractors for planting, drip irrigation systems linked to weather forecasts, and fertigation lines that deliver nutrients right to the root zone.

Most impressive? Their integrated pest management system. They scout fields every 30 days, using sticky traps, pheromone lures, and mobile apps like AgriEdge Excelsior to track insect trends.

With this setup, their Beauregard variety consistently yields between 24 and 27 tons per hectare, season after season. According to data from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AGMRC), this is on the higher end of what U.S. farms typically report.

Takeaway:

• Mechanization boosts efficiency and consistency
• Drip irrigation + fertigation = water and nutrient precision
• Digital tools make pest control more predictive, not reactive

Kakamega, Kenya – Trial Farm Turns Heads with 35+ Tons/Ha

• Farm Type: Research trial plot
• Sweet Potato Variety: Ejumula
• Yield Achieved: 35.6 tons per hectare
• Practices Applied: Biofertilizers, organic matter, and weekly crop scouting

In Western Kenya, a trial conducted by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) showed just how far organic systems can go when carefully managed.

The farm tested Ejumula, a high-yielding orange-flesh variety that’s resistant to weevils and rich in beta-carotene. The secret? They combined biofertilizers like Trichoderma with tons of decomposed plant material, and followed a strict schedule of weekly field monitoring for diseases and pests.

That attention to detail paid off: a record-breaking 35.6 tons per hectare—nearly double what many local farmers get on average.

Yes, this was in a controlled research environment, but the findings have real-world applications. KALRO now runs training programs to teach smallholders how to adapt these methods affordably.

Takeaway:

• Biofertilizers are effective when paired with proper scouting
• Weekly monitoring helps detect problems early—before they become disasters
• Even research farms offer scalable solutions for small growers

What These Stories Teach Us

These three farms couldn’t be more different—in location, scale, and budget. Yet all three show that yield is less about luck and more about strategy. Here’s what connects them:

Key Factor	Nigeria (Benue)	USA (North Carolina)	Kenya (Kakamega)
Variety	TIS 87/0087	Beauregard	Ejumula
Farming Style	Low-input traditional	Fully mechanized	Research-controlled
Key Yield Boost	Raised beds + compost	Drip fertigation + scouting	Biofertilizers + scouting
Highest Yield Reached	24 tons/ha	27 tons/ha	35.6 tons/ha

So whether you’re managing two hectares with a hoe or fifty with a tractor, there’s always room to optimize. Start by tracking what you do now, then choose one new practice to improve each season—whether it’s switching spacing, adding organic matter, or just walking your field more often.

The difference could be 10 tons/ha or more, and that’s no small potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet Potato Yields

Final Thoughts: Sweet Potato Farming Is a Smart Move

Sweet potatoes are tough, resilient, and profitable. With global demand rising—for food, fries, flour, and even baby food—this crop has real staying power.

And the best part? You don’t need a mega farm to win. Just the right setup, smart practices, and a willingness to learn from your field every season.

Start small, but start smart. You don’t have to do everything at once, but each upgrade brings you closer to that 30-ton mark. It’s possible. Farmers across Africa, Asia, and the Americas are already doing it.

Action Steps to Hit Higher Yields

Here’s your grower’s checklist to move the needle:

• Test your soil before planting
• Choose clean, certified planting materials
• Space plants correctly
• Apply the right nutrients or compost
• Weed early and consistently
• Scout for pests weekly
• Rotate crops to break disease cycles
• Install drip or manual irrigation if needed
• Harvest on time and cure tubers properly

Farming sweet potatoes isn’t rocket science—but it does reward the farmers who pay attention to the little things. That’s where yield jumps live.

Got questions about your soil, spacing, or variety? Drop them in the comments—I’m always happy to help troubleshoot and share what I’ve seen work out there in the field. Let’s grow smarter, not harder.