b"that are really promising for us here for producing in Quebec, he explains in a phone interview. Its really difficult to find sweet potato that is able to do yield in short time. Programs like Nordany that looks for varieties that are able to finish in 100 days is crucial for Canada.Cloutier would like to expand his sweet potato acreage, but hes currently limited by lack of slips available for planting. This is a problem Martin and his team are working on as they move towards commercializing the Nordany varieties.Before the sweet potato varieties can be released, there needs to be enough slips available for purchase. To do that Nordany has contracted companies in Ontario, Quebec, and North Carolina to propagate the varieties. However, for the company in North Carolina to receive the slips for propagation, the slips must first be approved and cleaned by the U.S. Department of AgricultureNordany Inc. sweet potatoes ready for harvest.PHOTO: CARLOS MARTIN which can take a year or two to happen. The varieties will be sent to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to receive registration in Canada One of the growers Martin has been working with is Guillaumelater this year. Cloutier. Cloutier owns Delfland Inc., a vegetable farm located nearThe research work isnt stopping though with the four varieties. Napierville, Que. Cloutier first started growing sweet potatoes afterMartin and his team are still on the hunt for more Canadian sweet working with Vineland. A few years later he read an article talkingpotato varieties. about Nordanys program, so he reached out to Martin to see aboutIn June (2023) we are planning to plant over 2,000 new genetic growing his varieties.lines, because we continue looking for something better. If we can I think we have tried like 50 or 60 (sweet potato) varieties fromfind something the more adapted to these conditions in Canada that Nordany, and it's really interesting. Right now, we have two to threewill be much better, Martin says. 32SPUDSMART.COMFall 2023"