{"id":236194,"date":"2026-06-17T15:23:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T01:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=236194"},"modified":"2026-06-18T07:30:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:30:26","slug":"okinawan-sweetpotatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/17\/okinawan-sweetpotatoes\/","title":{"rendered":"糖心视频<\/abbr> lab builds clean seed pipeline for Okinawan sweetpotatoes"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"sweetpotatoes\"<\/p>\n

Tucked away at the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Manoa\u2019s Komohana facility in Hilo, a small team of researchers from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience<\/a> (CTAHR<\/abbr>) is building the clean seed pipeline that could help secure the future of the state\u2019s sweetpotato industry. Clean seeds are vine cuttings that are free from harmful viruses.<\/p>\n

The National Clean Plant Network (NCPN<\/abbr>) Sweetpotato-Hawaiʻi<\/span> Center is part of the USDA<\/abbr>-supported NCPN<\/abbr>-Sweetpotatoes program<\/a>, a national network of clean plant centers, scientists, regulators, and growers. It is the only center in the network dedicated to Okinawan and Hawaiian heritage ʻuala<\/span> (sweetpotatoes).<\/p>\n

\"person
Tissue culture specialist Elisa Urano Mow at CTAHR<\/abbr>\u2019s Komohana ʻuala<\/span> lab.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The center combines advanced tissue culture and diagnostics with strong partnerships among farmers, researchers, and cultural practitioners. Together, they are laying the groundwork for a reliable, local system for ʻuala<\/span> and Okinawan sweetpotato health.<\/p>\n

Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> sweetpotatoes<\/h2>\n

While programs on the U.S.<\/abbr> continent work with orange-fleshed varieties, the Hawaiʻi<\/span> center, led by CTAHR<\/abbr> Extension Agent Sharon Wages, prioritizes purple-fleshed Okinawan types and traditional ʻuala<\/span> that are central to local diets and markets.<\/p>\n

“Hawaiʻi<\/span> has the corner on Okinawan sweetpotato in the U.S.<\/abbr>,” she said, noting that continental U.S.<\/abbr> climates often cannot match the crop\u2019s performance in Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> tropical weather.<\/p>\n

\"person
Researcher Achyut Adhikari is part of the team that helps keep ʻuala<\/span> healthy, nutritious and marketable.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas<\/em>) is a major crop in Hawaiʻi,<\/span> with 6.2 million pounds grown here in 2025, according to the USDA<\/abbr>. Nine out of 10 ʻuala<\/span> are produced on Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island, particularly along the Hāmākua<\/span> Coast.<\/p>\n

Establishing a virus-free foundation<\/h2>\n

Supported by researchers Achyut Adhikari and Elisa Urano Mow, a tissue culture specialist, the sweetpotato center uses meristem-tip tissue culture to clean infected plant lines for each kind of ʻulua<\/span> and establish virus-free foundation material for growers. This clean stock can then be multiplied and distributed, giving farmers a healthier starting point for new plantings.<\/p>\n

While all NCPN<\/abbr> centers follow a standard virus testing protocol, CTAHR<\/abbr> researcher Anna Halpin-McCormick has documented additional viruses in the state. The Hawaiʻi<\/span> center is now incorporating two of these locally significant viruses into its regular diagnostics, strengthening protection against region-specific threats.<\/p>\n

The center has 11 unique sweetpotato varieties. The staff works closely with local growers to advance lines that are both nutritious and marketable, including several Okinawan-type selections and important heritage ʻuala.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nine out of 10 ʻuala<\/span> are produced on Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island, particularly along the Hāmākua<\/span> Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":236206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[222,212,265,1363,1314,73,9],"class_list":["post-236194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-agriculture","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-cooperative-extension-service","tag-manoa-research","tag-manoa-sustainability","tag-sustainability","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t