Sweetpotato is a highly productive crop and orange-fleshed varieties are an excellent source of vitamin A, making it an important option for regions at a risk of food shortages and malnutrition. However, viruses that are spread by whiteflies and the vine cuttings farmers use as planting material can accumulate in plants and reduce the yields of many orange-fleshed varieties within a few growing seasons. This is especially problematic in East Africa, where the viruses abound.
