_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: soshunsanya@yahoo.com; Asian Research Journal of Agriculture 11(2): 1-13, 2019; Article no.ARJA.43434 ISSN: 2456-561X Effect of Live Mulch Conservation Practices on Crop Yields: A Study of Sweet Potato in Southwest Nigeria S. O. Oshunsanya 1* , G. E. Okoh 1 , P. A. Amao 1 , O. Aliku 1 and E. A. Chukwuma 1 1 Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Authors SOO and PAA designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and first draft of the manuscript. Author GEO managed the analyses of the study. Authors OA and EAC managed the literature searches. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/ARJA/2019/v11i230056 Editor(s): (1) Aleksander Lisowski, Full Professor, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Production Engineering, Department Agricultural and Forestry, Engineering, Nowoursynowska 164, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland. Reviewers: (1) Godwin Michael Ubi, University of Calabar, Nigeria. (2) Prahlad Deb, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati University, India. (3) Rebecca Yegon, University of Embu, Kenya. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/43434 Received 20 July 2018 Accepted 09 October 2018 Published 19 July 2019 ABSTRACT Live mulch can reduce land degradation by protecting the surface soil from direct impacts of rain drops and consequently increasing crop yields. To compare the potential biomass production of sweet potato for soil conservation, two farmlands with different degradation potentials were selected to plant ten commonly grown cultivars of sweet potato of Africa. Soil degradation rate (SDR) and vulnerability potential (Vp) of the two farms were also compared using selected soil properties as assessment tools. Results indicated that Farm A with higher total biomass slightly degraded with low vulnerability potential (SDR/Vp ≈ 2/4) while the Farm B with lower biomass severely degraded with high vulnerability potential (SDR/Vp ≈ 4/2). Correlation between biomass and yields was not significant for both the farms, indicating that biomass alone cannot determine the yields of sweet potato. On a slightly degraded soil, Benue, Akinima, TIS 87/0087 and Arrow tip cultivars had the highest tuber production (100 - 70)%, followed by Ex-Igbaraiam, Eruwa, Shaba, Ishiayi and TIS 8441 (69 - 50)% and least by Akwide (<50%). While on a severely degraded soil, Ex-Igbaraiam Original Research Article