Description and analysis of a geo-referenced database of the global distribution of sweetpotato area

A georeferenced database of the global distribution of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.)Lam.] is described and analyzed. The database was assembled from many country-level sources. To create a database representative for one time period, the proportion of national sweetpotato area in each production zone was multiplied by total national sweetpotato area for 1998-2000, as estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Most sweetpotato is grown in the temperate zone, 70% of the area is between 20degreesN and 40degreesN. Sweetpotato is highly concentrated in some areas, notably in the lowlands of China and in the mid-elevations of the Lake Victoria area in Africa. About half the global sweetpotato area occurs where it is an obligatory seasonal crop because of low temperatures during part of the year.