In addition to a high-yield capability, sweet potatoes have several other advantages. They can be planted and harvested mechanically and have good storage life so that an alcohol production facility could be supplied with feedstock over a period of several months. Many of the highest-yielding cultivars of sweet potatoes, including 'Jewel' are marketed for food and are also readily eaten by cattle. Thus, there could be considerable flexibility in marketing a sweet potato crop and in using those which might not find a ready sale. Dry weather at transplanting may hinder stand establishment unless irrigation is available.
Harvesting is difficult unless sweet potatoes are grown on sandy or loamy soils.
However, the species seems to have several disadvantages which may well outweigh its high-yielding potential. The crop was relatively easy to grow but difficult to harvest and store. The tubers are tightly attached to the crown of the plant and, when dug by machine, come up as a mass of tubers, crown tissue, and soil which does not separate well like potato or sweet potato. Thus, much hand labor was needed for harvest. In addition to that, the tubers do not store well after digging and must be utilized quickly to prevent spoilage and loss.