Kumba: IRAD’s RADiUS project delivers first purple sweet potato seedlings.

The programme was officially launched on June 3, 2025, in Yaounde and is being implemented in Cameroon by the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, IRAD, led by Dr Noé Woin.

The first harvest, project stakeholders say, marks an early milestone for the RADIUS agroecology project. The head of the IRAD Kang Barombi research station in Kumba, Dr Justin Okollé, explained that the project is using cuttings as planting material instead of stems taken from harvested sweet potato plants or those grown in greenhouses. The method, he said, involves producing small rooted plants with young leaves.

The expert further explained that in concrete beds measuring about eight square metres, soil is mixed with a commercial organic fertiliser known as EcoGrow. 

Small edible roots are then placed in the mixture, partially exposed, before being treated with solutions containing bio-organic fertilisers, insecticides and fungicides. After about two weeks, the cuttings are ready either for transplanting in the field or for greenhouse cultivation.

Researchers say the use of cuttings offers several advantages in the production process and can help accelerate the multiplication of planting material for farmers.

According to project stakeholders, the purple-fleshed sweet potato variety has significant nutritional properties. It is described as rich in anthocyanin antioxidants, fibre, and vitamins A and C, while having a lower glycaemic index compared with many other tubers and root crops. 

The characteristics, stakeholders noted, are associated with benefits for cardiovascular and brain health, reduced cancer risks, strengthened immune systems and improved blood sugar management.

Dr Okollé, who supervises the RADIUS pilot farm in Kumba, says yields can reach up to 25.5 tonnes per hectare when the recommended cultivation techniques and agroecological practices are strictly followed.

The RADIUS project is financed by the European Union and coordinated by the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development, CORAF. 

It aims to support the agroecological transition of farms across West and Central Africa by promoting sustainable farming principles, knowledge tools and innovative agricultural solutions.

Through these efforts, the programme seeks to contribute to long-term food, nutritional and economic security for populations across the region. 

The article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3728 of Wednesday March 11, 2026