Biological-morphological and physiological-biochemical characteristics of the plants of <i>Ipomoea batatas</i> (L.) Lam. (sweet potato) in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

The study assessed the biological-morphological and physiological-biochemical characteristics of various genotypes of Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. to identify valuable breeding material for developing high-yielding varieties and enriching the range of food crops in Ukraine. General scientific, special, mathematical-statistical, and comparative methods were applied. As a result of primary genetic and introductory studies, nine promising samples were selected to evaluate their adaptive and productive potential under Ukrainian conditions. Morphological and biometric analyses enabled the classification of plants by leaf size, shoot length, shoot number, and phytomass productivity. The levels of dry matter, sugars, ascorbic acid, tannins, and titrated acidity were significantly higher in tuberous roots than in aerial parts, while the content of free nitrogen was lower, confirming their suitability for food and fodder use. During tuber formation, an active redistribution of photosynthetic products was observed, reflecting high adaptability to environmental stress. The comprehensive evaluation of these parameters made it possible to identify I. batatas genotypes with strong adaptive and productive potential and increased levels of structural and biologically active compounds, contributing to the expansion of Ukraine’s food crop resource base.