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Studies show that sweet potato seeds obtained by the new seed production method assure crops of optimum and rapid growth, while increasing productivity by 30 percent.

The INIVIT is also developing new varieties of root vegetables and farming technology to boost food production and substitute imports.

INIVIT’s Research Department vice president Alfredo Morales spoke about some of the institution’s scientific advances so far, including the implementation of new harvesting equipment to optimize crop harvesting methods.

Currently grown countrywide, Y 93-4 is a profitable manioc variety yielding 17 tons per hectare. As it is smaller in size than the traditional manioc plant, the Y 93-4 is more wind resistant and has high dry matter content.

INIVIT B-2 2005 is another high-yielding variety of sweet potato grown in the island that exceeds 17 tons per hectare.

The research center said to be working on another variety of sweet potato with a high content of Vitamin A, and a new variety of malanga.