Although most of Mississippi’s sweet potatoes are grown far northeast of the state’s worst drought conditions, excessive heat and dryness did factor into this year’s crop. According to Lorin Harvey, sweet potato specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, dry weather affected production more than most growers anticipated. Because of the drought, irrigated acres performed better than potatoes on dryland.
The lack of precipitation has caused variability in the size of potatoes between fields and increased chances of skinning, making it hard to plan for harvest. Caleb Englert, Mississippi Sweet Potato Council president, said potatoes planted by mid-May received a couple of significant rainfalls before the dry spell and have had good yields. Later planted acreage faced a tougher battle. A “fair-to-average” crop, which he anticipates, should be enough for most growers to turn a profit.
Source: extension.msstate.edu