Tainung No. 74 Golden Fragrance sweet potato takes over from No. 57: tasty, stores well, and yields 30 percent more

Tainung No. 57 sweet potato has yellow flesh and tastes good, making it deeply popular with consumers, but it sprouts easily at room temperature and cannot be stored long-term. After ten years of effort, the Chiayi Branch Station of the Agricultural Research Institute has newly bred "Tainung No. 74" Golden Fragrance sweet potato, which has excellent quality, yields 30 percent more than Tainung No. 57, and can be stored at room temperature for more than 28 days without sprouting. It is currently undergoing variety rights review and is expected to replace Tainung No. 57 in the future, becoming a new favorite for sweet potato cultivation.

Golden Fragrance will be transferred under a "non-exclusive technology transfer," and companies are encouraged to invest in healthy seedling production

The Agricultural Research Institute has currently signed trial-planting contracts with several large growers to observe field performance across Taiwan, China. In the future, it will use "non-patent licensing" so that most farmers can grow the new variety.

Yang Hung-jen stated that to prevent sweet potato diseases, farmers are encouraged to purchase healthy seedlings for cultivation, at a cost of only 0.3 yuan per plant, which can reduce losses from disease. However, because the current production of healthy seedlings is not large, Yang encourages companies to invest in production. Yang explained that a one-hectare seedling nursery can supply healthy seedlings for 20-30 hectares, and after vine-cutting stops, it can also produce sweet potatoes. Interested companies are welcome to make contact.