Twenty-eight varieties have been cultivated in the Land of the Household Society in Torslunda outside Skogsby on Öland. On Wednesday, a field walk was made and people dug into the soil to see how the different varieties have progressed.
- It is very positive message on several varieties, it looks promising. But there are large variations, some have not grown anything, others are better than expected, says Jan-Olof Karlsson at the Housekeeping Society.
Öland one of eight test cultivation areasIt was he who, together with students at the adult school, put the small plants in the ground in June, which in six weeks should be completely finished sweet potatoes.
The sweet potato project is run by the Knowledge Hub, the County Administrative Board, the Household Society and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Öland is one of eight places in Sweden where test farms are used.
More difficult to harvestSo far, several varieties have gone well, but there are certainly challenges in growing a crop that does not normally grow in Sweden on a larger scale, says Jan-Olof Karlsson.
- The whole cultivation method is different from ordinary potatoes. They are not even related. Then the harvest is a little special. Since sweet potatoes are much more delicate than ordinary potatoes, it is not possible to use ordinary machines to expose them, but you have to have a special machine and then you have to pick them up by hand. It requires a lot of people and is a more complex production.
Many wanted to go field hikingIn order to harvest the potatoes, pick up the potatoes and invite the public to sample.
But the public interest in the project is already evident. For Wednesday's field trip, some 30 people had gathered, including the governor of Kalmar, Thomas Carlzon.
- It's a popular product for consumers right now. I really hope that we can get a commercial cultivation to a slightly larger extent in Sweden, and that is part of the goal of the project as well, says Jan-Olof Karlsson.