In small scale trials, sweet potatoes grown in Maryland and Alabama has been shown to yield two to three times as much carbohydrate for fuel ethanol production as field corn grown in the same areas. in fact, the sweet potato carbohydrate yields approached the lower limits of those produced by sugarcane, the highest-yielding ethanol crop.

It is however unclear whether sweet potatoes may be a viable alternative as biofuel source. Although they require less pesticides and fertilizer than corn, planting and harvesting incurs higher labor costs.

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