We Finally Have The Entire Genome Of The Sweet Potato

Of all the myriad weird and wonderful species that populate this planet, it’s probably not the humble sweet potato that you’d pick as being the most mysterious. It may surprise you, therefore, to learn that it’s only now, in September 2025 of the Common Era, that scientists have decoded its genome – meaning we finally know exactly what kind of vegetable it actually is. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Now, we know what you’re thinking: who cares? But sweet potato is, in fact, a globally important crop. It’s extremely resilient, surviving in extreme climates and having so few natural predators that farmers rarely need to bother with pesticides. They’re the most efficient staple food to grow – they offer around 70 kilocal