This study was performed to understand the effect of cultivation periods on the physicochemical characteristics of the starch of five sweetpotato cultivars, cultivated in Muan, Korea. Starch, protein, and ash contents increased with increased cultivation period, whereas amylose content decreased. Rapid viscosity analysis showed that the pasting temperature, peak viscosity, breakdown, setback and final viscosity increased with increased cultivation period. However, trough and final viscosity decreased. Although the onset temperature and peak temperature values increased, the conclusion temperature did not show any consistent patterns by differential scanning calorimetry. X-ray diffraction showed that the starch samples had C-type crystallinity irrespective of the cultivation period and cultivar. The starch granules were dominantly round and oval, or polygonal irrespective the cultivation period. The bigger the particle size was, the longer the cultivation period was.
