Impact of steam cooking on the chemical profile of table-stock sweetpotatoes with different carotenoids content.

Sweetpotatoes are a great source of carotenoids, which are important for human health and have attracted increasing attention. This study examined the impact of the steaming method on the contents of carotenoids, starch, soluble sugar, volatile organic compounds, and pasting properties of nine table-stock sweetpotatoes with different carotenoids content (from 3.21 to 233.46 µg/g). After steaming, carotenoids content was significantly decreased, among which G79 and P32 had the highest levels of 88.20 µg/g and 94.27 µg/g, respectively. The starch content of G42 decreased the most (20 %) with the highest peak viscosity (1764.33 cP), while the amylose content of P32 increased the most (12.59 %) with the lowest peak viscosity (441.33 cP). The contents of total starch and amylose were significantly correlated with sensory evaluation. G79 presented the best sensory evaluation and a sweet, delicious, and soft texture. A total of 57 volatile organic compounds were detected, among which benzene, a few aldehydes, and terpenoids contributed to the aroma of steamed sweetpotatoes. These results provide a theoretical foundation for future sweetpotato processing.

Exploration of Raw Pigmented-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Volatile Organic Compounds and the Precursors.

Sweet potato provides rich nutrients and bioactive substances for the human diet. In this study, the volatile organic compounds of five pigmented-fleshed sweet potato cultivars were determined, the characteristic aroma compounds were screened, and a correlation analysis was carried out with the aroma precursors. In total, 66 volatile organic compounds were identified. Terpenoids and aldehydes were the main volatile compounds, accounting for 59% and 17%, respectively. Fifteen compounds, including seven aldehydes, six terpenes, one furan, and phenol, were identified as key aromatic compounds for sweet potato using relative odor activity values (ROAVs) and contributed to flower, sweet, and fat flavors. The OR sample exhibited a significant presence of trans-ß-Ionone, while the Y sample showed high levels of benzaldehyde. Starch, soluble sugars, 20 amino acids, and 25 fatty acids were detected as volatile compounds precursors. Among them, total starch (57.2%), phenylalanine (126.82 ± 0.02 g/g), and fatty acids (6.45 µg/mg) were all most abundant in Y, and LY contained the most soluble sugar (14.65%). The results of the correlation analysis revealed the significant correlations were identified between seven carotenoids and trans-ß-Ionone, soluble sugar and nerol, two fatty acids and hexanal, phenylalanine and 10 fatty acids with benzaldehyde, respectively. In general, terpenoids and aldehydes were identified as the main key aromatic compounds in sweet potatoes, and carotenoids had more influence on the aroma of OR than other cultivars. Soluble sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids probably serve as important precursors for some key aroma compounds in sweet potatoes. These findings provide valuable insights for the formation of sweet potato aroma.

Haplotype-based phylogenetic analysis and population genomics uncover the origin and domestication of sweetpotato.

The hexaploid sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the most important root crops worldwide. However, its genetic origin remains controversial, and its domestication history remains unknown. In this study, we used a range of genetic evidence and a newly developed haplotype-based phylogenetic analysis to identify two probable progenitors of sweetpotato. The diploid progenitor was likely closely related to Ipomoea aequatoriensis and contributed the B1 subgenome, IbT-DNA2, and the lineage 1 type of chloroplast genome to sweetpotato. The tetraploid progenitor of sweetpotato was most likely I. batatas 4x, which donated the B2 subgenome, IbT-DNA1, and the lineage 2 type of chloroplast genome. Sweetpotato most likely originated from reciprocal crosses between the diploid and tetraploid progenitors, followed by a subsequent whole-genome duplication. In addition, we detected biased gene exchanges between the subgenomes; the rate of B1 to B2 subgenome conversions was nearly three times higher than that of B2 to B1 subgenome conversions. Our analyses revealed that genes involved in storage root formation, maintenance of genome stability, biotic resistance, sugar transport, and potassium uptake were selected during the speciation and domestication of sweetpotato. This study sheds light on the evolution of sweetpotato and paves the way for improvement of this crop.

High-throughput phenotyping of nutritional quality components in sweet potato roots by near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics methods.

The lack of an efficient approach for quality evaluation of sweet potatoes significantly hinders progress in quality breeding. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) assay for high-throughput analysis of sweet potato root quality, including total starch, amylose, amylopectin, the ratio of amylopectin to amylose, soluble sugar, crude protein, total flavonoid content, and total phenolic content. A total of 125 representative samples were utilized and a dual-optimized strategy (optimization of sample subset partitioning and variable selection) was applied to NIRS modeling. Eight optimal equations were developed with an excellent coefficient of determination for the calibration (R2C) at 0.95-0.99, cross-validation (R2CV) at 0.93-0.98, external validation (R2V) at 0.89-0.96, and the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) at 6.33-11.35. Overall, these NIRS models provide a feasible approach for high-throughput analysis of root quality and permit large-scale screening of elite germplasm in future sweet potato breeding.

Saponins from Momordica charantia exert hypoglycemic effect in diabetic mice by multiple pathways.

The antidiabetic activity of saponins extracted from Momordica charantia (MCS) on streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice was investigated in order to elucidate the mechanism of MCS for exerting hypoglycemic effects. Saponins were first extracted from M. charantia L. and their composition was analyzed. The diabetic Kunming mice were fed low-dose saponins from M. charantia L. and high-dose MCS, using normal mice and diabetic mice as controls. Body weight, blood glucose level, oral glucose tolerance, serum C-peptide level, hepatic antioxidant capacity, hepatic glycogen and hexokinase in liver tissues, serum blood lipid level, and alpha-glucosidase activity in small intestines were measured, and microstructure of pancreatic islet was analyzed. The results showed that the total content of seven triterpenoid compounds in MCS was 18.24 µg/mg, with Momordicoside K having the highest content at 11.66 µg/mg. Diabetic mice treated with MCS at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight daily for 30 days showed a maximum glucose reduction (p < .05) of 12.63% and 26.47%, respectively. MCS significantly decreased levels of postprandial hyperglycemia, serum lipid, α-glucosidase activity, and liver malondialdehyde. Additionally, levels of serum C-peptide and liver glycogen, as well as hexokinase and antioxidant enzyme activity, were significantly increased compared to the diabetic control groups. Histopathological results showed that MCS markedly reduced degenerative changes in islet ß-cells. It is concluded that MCS exerts antidiabetic effects by improved hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant effects, increased hexokinase activity and glycogen synthesis, and enhanced reparative effects on the histological architecture and insulin secretion function of the pancreas.

High dynamic range 3D shape measurement based on crosstalk characteristics of a color camera.

Fringe projection profilometry (FPP) has been widely used in many fields due to its fast speed, high accuracy and full-field characteristics. However, it is still a challenging problem to deal with high dynamic range (HDR) objects for traditional FPP, which utilizes a single exposure time or a single projection intensity. Overexposure will occur in areas with large reflectivity, which exceeds the maximum capturing capacity of camera sensors, resulting in the failure to obtain the accurate intensity, absolute phase and three-dimensional (3D) data. In this paper, a uniform blue image is projected to divide object surface into three areas with different reflectivity by using different intensity responses of RGB channels of color images. Crosstalk coefficient function is applied to obtain intensity of overexposed areas, and then the optimal exposure time of areas is calculated by the linear photometric response of the camera. Finally, three sets of blue fringe patterns with optimal exposure time are synthesized into the fused HDR images to calculate the absolute phase. Experimental results confirm that the proposed method can accurately measure HDR objects with large variation range of reflectivity.

Overexpression of a nitrate transporter NtNPF2.11 increases nitrogen accumulation and yield in tobacco.

Nitrogen (N) is the key essential macronutrient for crop growth and yield. Over-application of inorganic N fertilizer in fields generated serious environmental pollution and had a negative impact to human health. Therefore, improving crop N use efficiency (NUE) is helpful for sustainable agriculture. The biological functions of nitrogen transporters and regulators have been intensively studied in many crop species. However, only a few nitrogen transporters have been identified in tobacco to date. We reported the identification and functional characterization of a nitrate transporter NtNPF2.11 from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). qRT-PCR assay revealed that NtNPF2.11 was mainly expressed in leaf and vein. Under middle N (MN, 1.57 kg N/100 m2) and high N (HN, 2.02 kg N/100 m2) conditions, overexpression of NtNPF2.11 in tobacco greatly improved N utilization and biomass. Moreover, under middle N and high N conditions, the expression of genes for nitrate assimilation, such as NtNR1, NtNiR, NtGS and NtGOGAT, were upregulated in NtNPF2.11 overexpression plants. Compared with WT, overexpression of NtNPF2.11 increased potassium (K) accumulation under high N conditions. These results indicated that overexpression of NtNPF2.11 could increase tobacco yield, N and K accumulation under higher N conditions. Overall, these findings improve our understanding the function of NtNPF2.11 and provide useful gene for sustainable agriculture.

Genetic fingerprint construction and genetic diversity analysis of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) germplasm resources.

BACKGROUND: China is the largest producer of sweet potato in the world, accounting for 57.0% of the global output. Germplasm resources are the basis for promoting innovations in the seed industry and ensuring food security. Individual and accurate identification of sweet potato germplasm is an important part of conservation and efficient utilization. RESULTS: In this study, nine pairs of simple sequence repeat molecular markers and 16 morphological markers were used to construct genetic fingerprints for sweet potato individual identification. Combined with basic information, typical phenotypic photographs, genotype peak graphs, and a two-dimensional code for detection and identification were generated. Finally, a genetic fingerprint database containing 1021 sweet potato germplasm resources in the "National Germplasm Guangzhou Sweet Potato Nursery Genebank in China" was constructed. Genetic diversity analysis of the 1021 sweet potato genotypes using the nine pairs of simple sequence repeat markers revealed a narrow genetic variation range of Chinese native sweet potato germplasm resources, and Chinese germplasm was close to that from Japan and the United States, far from that from the Philippines and Thailand, and the furthest from that from Peru. Sweet potato germplasm resources from Peru had the richest genetic diversity, supporting the view that Peru is the center of origin and domestication of sweet potato varieties. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study provides scientific guidance for the conservation, identification, and utilization of sweet potato germplasm resources and offers a reference to facilitate the discovery of important genes to boost sweet potato breeding.

Constitutive expression of nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat gene AtRPS2 enhanced drought and salt tolerance in rice.

Drought and salt are major abiotic stresses that severely restricts plant growth and development, leading to serious losses in agricultural production. Therefore, improving crop tolerance to drought and salt stresses is an urgent issue. A previous study showed that overexpression of Arabidopsis NLR gene AtRPS2 conferred broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice. In this study, we demonstrated that constitutive expression of AtRPS2 increased abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity during seedling stage, the shoot length of transgenic plants were shorter than wild type plants. Exogenous application of ABA markedly induced the expression of stress-related genes and promoted stomatal close in transgenic plants. Overexpression of AtRPS2 also enhanced drought and salt tolerance in rice, transgenic plants exhibited higher survival rates under drought and salt conditions than wild type plants. The activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were higher in AtRPS2 transgenic rice than wild type plants. In addition, the expression of stress-related genes and ABA-responsive genes were significantly upregulated in AtRPS2 transgenic plants than wild type plants under drought and salt treatments. Besides, exogenous application of ABA could facilitate drought and salt tolerance in AtRPS2 transgenic plants. Taken together, this study indicated that AtRPS2 could improve drought and salt tolerance in rice, and this phenomenon is likely to be regulated through ABA signaling pathways.

Effect of cooking methods on metabolites of deep purple-fleshed sweetpotato.

The effects of different cooking methods on purple-fleshed sweetpotato (PFSP) metabolites were systematically explored, containing the changes of starch, soluble sugar, volatile organic compounds and non-target metabolites after steaming, boiling and baking. Compared to raw samples, the steamed samples showed the greatest changes in starch (degraded from 53.01% to 39.5%) and soluble sugar content (increased from 11.82% to 29.08%), while the baked samples showed insignificant changes in starch (51.06%). In total, 64 volatile organic compounds were identified in PFSP, with aldehydes decreasing and terpenes increasing after cooking. However, most of them were low in content and contributed weak aroma for PFSP. More importantly, 871 non-volatile metabolites were detected in PFSP, and 83.5% of which were well-preserved after cooking, while most of the changes were concentrated in phenylpropanoids, amino acids and carbohydrates. This study enriches the understanding of quality changes after PFSP cooking and helps consumers choose the right cooking method.

Impact of different cooking methods on the flavor and chemical profile of yellow-fleshed table-stock sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas L.).

This study investigated the impact of baking, boiling, and steaming on the taste, flavor, and chemical profile of yellow-fleshed sweetpotatoes (YFSP). Baked YFSP were sweeter, more palatable, and more flavorful than both steamed and boiled YFSP. Baking increased the YFSP soluble sugar content from 9.12% to 36.65%. Specifically, maltose increased by 200-fold and this possibly accounted for the sweetness of baked YFSP. From the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis, the contents of furans and terpenes increased with baking, endowing baked YFSP with an aroma. On the contrary, boiling retained more carotenoids than the other cooking methods. Although cooking clearly altered YFSP, bioactive substances were predominantly preserved as only 72 out of 706 metabolites were identified as differentially accumulated metabolites between cooked and raw samples. Taken together, baked YFSP had high levels of sugars and volatile compounds, and the three cooking methods had little effect on chemical compounds. This comprehensive evaluation of cooked YFSP is a basis for sweetpotato processing and consumer choice.

Pathogen-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Emerging Mediators of Plant-Microbe Interactions.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-enclosed nanoparticles that deliver bioactive proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and other small molecules from donor to recipient cells. They have attracted significant interest recently due to their important roles in regulating plant-microbe interaction. During microbial infection, plant EVs play a prominent role in defense by delivering small regulatory RNA into pathogens, resulting in the silencing of pathogen virulence genes. Pathogens also deliver small RNAs into plant cells to silence host immunity genes. Recent evidence indicates that microbial EVs may be involved in pathogenesis and host immunity modulation by transporting RNAs and other biomolecules. However, the biogenesis and function of microbial EVs in plant-microbe interaction remain ill-defined. In this review, we discuss various aspects of microbial EVs, with a particular focus on current methods for EV isolation, composition, biogenesis, and their roles in plant-microbe interaction. We also discussed the potential role of microbial EVs in cross-kingdom RNA trafficking from pathogens to plants, as it is a highly likely possibility to explore in the future. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Integrated analysis of carotenoid metabolites and transcriptome identifies key genes controlling carotenoid compositions and content in sweetpotato tuberous roots (Ipomoea batatas L.).

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) with different depths of yellow color contains different compositions of carotenoids, which are beneficial for human health. In this study, we performed an integrated analysis of metabolomic and transcriptomic to identify key genes playing a major role in carotenoid coloration in sweetpotato tuberous roots. Herein, 14 carotenoids were identified in five sweetpotatoes. Orange-red and orange cultivars were dominated by ß-carotene (385.33 µg/g and 85.07 µg/g), yellow cultivar had a high ß-cryptoxanthin (11.23 µg/g), light-yellow cultivar was rich in zeaxanthin (5.12 µg/g), whereas lutein (3.34 µg/g) was the main carotenoid in white cultivar. Furthermore, 27 differentially expressed genes involved in carotenoid metabolism were identified based on comparative transcriptome. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified 15 transcription factors highly associated with carotenoid content in sweetpotatoes. These results provide valuable information for revealing the regulatory mechanism of carotenoid metabolism in different-colored sweetpotato tuberous roots.

Comprehensive analysis of the LHT gene family in tobacco and functional characterization of NtLHT22 involvement in amino acids homeostasis.

Amino acids are vital nitrogen (N) sources for plant growth, development, and yield. The uptake and translocation of amino acids are mediated by amino acid transporters (AATs). The AATs family including lysine-histidine transporters (LHTs), amino acid permeases (AAPs), and proline transporters (ProTs) subfamilies have been identified in various plants. However, little is known about these genes in tobacco. In this study, we identified 23 LHT genes, the important members of AATs, in the tobacco genome. The gene structure, phylogenetic tree, transmembrane helices, chromosomal distribution, cis-regulatory elements, and expression profiles of NtLHT genes were systematically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis divided the 23 NtLHT genes into two conserved subgroups. Expression profiles confirmed that the NtLHT genes were differentially expressed in various tissues, indicating their potential roles in tobacco growth and development. Cis-elements analysis of promoters and expression patterns after stress treatments suggested that NtLHT genes probable participate in abiotic stress responses of tobacco. In addition, Knock out and overexpression of NtLHT22 changed the amino acids homeostasis in the transgenic plants, the contents of amino acids were significantly decreased in NtLHT22 overexpression plants than wild-type. The results from this study provide important information for further studies on the molecular functions of the NtLHT genes.

Total Phenolics and Anthocyanins Contents and Antioxidant Activity in Four Different Aerial Parts of Leafy Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.).

Leafy sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an excellent source of nutritious greens and natural antioxidants, but reports on antioxidants content and activity at buds, leaves, petioles, and stems are scarce. Therefore, the total phenolics content (TPC), total anthocyanins content (TAC), and antioxidant activity (assessed by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) were investigated in four aerial parts of 11 leafy sweet potato varieties. The results showed that varieties with pure green aerial parts, independently of the part analyzed, had higher TPC, FRAP, and ABTS radical scavenging activities. The green-purple varieties had a significantly higher TAC, while variety GS-17-22 had the highest TAC in apical buds and leaves, and variety Ziyang in petioles and stems. Among all parts, apical buds presented the highest TPC and antioxidant capacity, followed by leaves, petioles, and stems, while the highest TAC level was detected in leaves. The TPC was positively correlated with ABTS radical scavenging activity and FRAP in all parts studied, whereas the TAC was negatively correlated with DPPH radical scavenging activity. Collectively, the apical buds and leaves of sweet potato had the higher levels of nutritional values. These results would provide reference values for further breeding of leafy sweet potatoes.

Combining Metabolomics and Transcriptomics to Reveal the Mechanism of Coloration in Purple and Cream Mutant of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.).

Purple sweet potato is considered as a healthy food because of its high anthocyanins. To understand the coloring mechanism and quality change between purple-fleshed sweet potato (cv. Xuzi201) and its cream fleshed mutant (M1001), a combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis was performed. The metabolome data showed that 4 anthocyanins, 19 flavones, 6 flavanones, and 4 flavonols dramatically decreased in M1001, while the contents of 3 isoflavones, 3 flavonols, 4 catechins, and 2 proanthocyanins increased. Transcriptomic analyses indicated that the expression of 49 structural genes in the flavonoid pathway and transcription factors (TFs) (e.g., bHLH2, R2R3-MYB, MYB1) inducting anthocyanin biosynthesis were downregulated, but the repressor MYB44 was upregulated. The IbMYB1-2 gene was detected as a mutation gene in M1001, which is responsible for anthocyanin accumulation in the storage roots. Thus, the deficiency of purple color in the mutant is due to the lack of anthocyanin accumulation which was regulated by IbMYB1. Moreover, the accumulation of starch and aromatic volatiles was significantly different between Xuzi201 and M1001. These results not only revealed the mechanism of color mutation but also uncovered certain health-promoting compounds in sweet potato.

Exploration of molecular mechanism of intraspecific cross-incompatibility in sweetpotato by transcriptome and metabolome analysis.

Cross-incompatibility, frequently happening in intraspecific varieties, has seriously restricted sweetpotato breeding. However, the mechanism of sweetpotato intraspecific cross-incompatibility (ICI) remains largely unexplored, especially for molecular mechanism. Treatment by inducible reagent developed by our lab provides a method to generate material for mechanism study, which could promote incompatible pollen germination and tube growth in the ICI group. Based on the differential phenotypes between treated and untreated samples, transcriptome and metabolome were employed to explore the molecular mechanism of sweetpotato ICI in this study, taking varieties 'Guangshu 146' and 'Shangshu 19', a typical incompatible combination, as materials. The results from transcriptome analysis showed oxidation-reduction, cell wall metabolism, plant-pathogen interaction, and plant hormone signal transduction were the essential pathways for sweetpotato ICI regulation. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched in these pathways were the important candidate genes to response ICI. Metabolome analysis showed that multiple differential metabolites (DMs) involved oxidation-reduction were identified. The most significant DM identified in comparison between compatible and incompatible samples was vitexin-2-O-glucoside, a flavonoid metabolite. Corresponding to it, cytochrome P450s were the most DEGs identified in oxidation-reduction, which were implicated in flavonoid biosynthesis. It further suggested oxidation-reduction play an important role in sweetpotato ICI regulation. To validate function of oxidation-reduction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected in compatible and incompatible samples. The green fluorescence was observed in incompatible but not in compatible samples. It indicated ROS regulated by oxidation-reduction is important pathway to response sweetpotato ICI. The results in this study would provide valuable insights into molecular mechanisms for sweetpotato ICI.

Optimization of HS-SPME for GC-MS Analysis and Its Application in Characterization of Volatile Compounds in Sweet Potato.

Volatile compounds are the main chemical species determining the characteristic aroma of food. A procedure based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HP-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed to investigate the volatile compounds of sweet potato. The experimental conditions (fiber coating, incubation temperature and time, extraction time) were optimized for the extraction of volatile compounds from sweet potato. The samples incubated at 80 °C for 30 min and extracted at 80 °C by the fiber with a divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) coating for 30 min gave the most effective extraction of the analytes. The optimized method was applied to study the volatile profile of four sweet potato cultivars (Anna, Jieshu95-16, Ayamursaki, and Shuangzai) with different aroma. In total, 68 compounds were identified and the dominants were aldehydes, followed by alcohols, ketones, and terpenes. Significant differences were observed among the volatile profile of four cultivars. Furthermore, each cultivar was characterized by different compounds with typical flavor. The results substantiated that the optimized HS-SPME GC-MS method could provide an efficient and convenient approach to study the flavor characteristics of sweet potato. This is the basis for studying the key aroma-active compounds and selecting odor-rich accessions, which will help in the targeted improvement of sweet potato flavor in breeding.

Complete chloroplast genome of a novel chlorophyll-deficient mutant (clm) in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.).

The complete chloroplast genome of a novel chlorophyll-deficient mutant (clm) and its wild type (WT) in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) was sequenced. The complete chloroplast genome of clm and WT was 161,393 bp and 161,429 bp in length, containing a large single copy (LSC) region of 87,561 bp and 87,597 bp, respectively, a small single copy (SSC) region with the same length of 30,890 bp and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs) with the same length of 12,052 bp. Both of them contained 132 genes including 87 protein-coding sequences, 37 tRNA, and eight rRNA. Comparing to the WT, four SNPs and three INDELs were detected and only one INDEL in the exon affecting the translation of rpoA gene. Phylogenetic analysis showed that clm and WT were closely related to Ipomoea tabascana. The complete chloroplast genome of clm and its WT will play a role in understanding the molecular mechanism of chlorophyll deficiency and developing molecular markers in sweetpotato.

Isolation and Identification of Trichoderma asperellum, the Novel Causal Agent of Green Mold Disease in Sweetpotato.

Postharvest disease is an important limiting factor for sweetpotato production. Recently, a new green mold disease was found in sweetpotato storage roots. To investigate the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of the disease, the pathogen was isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular features, and its characteristics were further analyzed by pathogenic and antagonistic evaluations. The results showed that the isolated pathogen (CRI-Ta1) was identified as Trichoderma asperellum based on the similar growth and morphological features with Trichoderma spp., 99% homology of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence, and membership to the same phylogenetic group with the model strain of T. asperellum (CBS 433.97). The pathogenic analysis revealed that CRI-Ta1 could cause green mold disease through wound infection on the storage roots and the strains reisolated from infected storage roots could cause disease in different sweetpotato varieties, which was fulfilled in Koch's postulate. Moreover, CRI-Ta1 could also infect other common crop species, including chestnut, carrot, apple, pear, and others. It indicated that CRI-Ta1 was the pathogen to the storage roots of sweetpotato and had a wide host range. Additionally, in vitro antagonistic evaluation showed that CRI-Ta1 effectively inhibited the growth of common sweetpotato pathogens, including Fusarium solani and Rhizopus nigricans. However, further research is needed on the potential of CRI-Ta1 to control sweetpotato diseases in vivo. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the characteristics of the T. asperellum CRI-Ta1 in sweetpotato and would be helpful to the prevention and control of sweetpotato green mold disease.