Zero Branco Batata or Sweet Potato
Batata is an herbaceous plant: perennial if growing spontaneously, annual if cultivated. Its place of origin is controversial: first it was thought it came from Antilles, because Columbus found it in these islands. However, in subsequent explorations it was found that it was cultivated by natives in Mexico, Peru, and Chile. Moreover, it was cultivated in China even before the discovery of America.
The cultivation has developed in the Municipalities of Zero Branco and Morgano (Badoere) above all from the post-war period. The batata or sweet potato produced in these areas is tapered and characterized by a white color, a very pasty and mealy pulp, and is very sweet. From the seedling transplanting to the harvesting, all the activities are carried out by the farmer by hand, including the quality selection.
Except for a basic manuring, neither parasiticides nor herbicides are used for its cultivation. The holdings involved are about 70, and the main commercial channel is represented by the wholesale markets of Bologna, Milan, Padova, Verona, and Treviso.
