Ipomoea batatas - breeding of Sweet Potato - Camote - New Zealand

[reed]

That seed looks like what I consider perfectly formed and perfectly mature, congrats!. 

[Chris Morrison]

Thanks! Starting to get the hang of this, I think.
I read on another thread that you are moving to a trellis system, brilliant idea, I am spending a while each day scruffling around in foliage looking for pods, and this will increase as the plants 'go wild'. Might have to think about some trellis for seed production, save my aching back :-)

[reed]

Yea, stooping over for two or three hours every day is hard on a feller's back that's for sure. I'v took to doing it just every other day or so. When they really get going they get all tangled up too, I often can't tell when I collect a seed which plant it even came from. I grow a lot in pots, it helps raise them up off the ground a little and makes it a bit easier. Later in the season I go through with scissors and remove a lot of leaves so the seeds are easier to find.

[Richard Watson]

Well done Christopher, a www. slap on the back 

[Richard Watson]

Today is the 5th straight day with temps over 5degC, what the WMO classify as a heat wave. The clones have really enjoyed this heat and have started to sprint away

[Chris Morrison]

Ok, so BB Cuzzie seed is inside now. Will leave a few days before opening. Looks like a single also. No sign of more pods yet, but masses of flowers, and weather has been hot 30~35degs, and very dry last 10 days :-)

[Richard Watson]

Good work young fella. Been great weather for growth, worked out the average max temp in the last 14 days has been 29C deg

[reed]

Looks like another good one, hopefully your getting some cross pollination going on. If the BB Cuzzie has lots of flowers but few capsules might indicate it is non self compatible. Some of it's relatives here are selfers and some aren't. No rhyme or reason to it that I've isolated so far, too much trouble doing all the isolation and hand pollinations needed to find out. 

[Richard Watson]

Clearly then the one clone that I have which has been non stop flowering since spring is non self compatible, if would have had seed by now if it was.

[Chris Morrison]

Oh looky there. The 'natives' are firing! First pod on NZ Red mutation (coded EFR). In the pan garden pic, the pod is under the yellow flag. That row is EFR, next to left Okinawan, then the 2 Camotes G1 and BB.

[Chris Morrison]

And another on EFR today :-)

[Chris Morrison]

Not sure why some pics are cast on their sides, have to see if there is a preview option.

[Chris Morrison]

This first (of 3), Native pod, is more ovate, so possibly 2 seeds inside?

[Richard Watson]

Looks like a chunkier pod

[Richard Watson]

Taken a while but now getting flowering on quite a few clones, between my brush and bumblebees hopefully some pollination will happen