Abstract:Against the backdrop of the sweet potato industry's transition from extensive production to modern, intelligent agriculture, establishing a full-process mechanization system covering seedling production, ridge forming, transplanting and field management, harvesting, and postharvest integration was a key approach to easing labor constraints, reducing production costs, and improving operational quality. The mechanized operating modes and technological pathways for sweet potato production worldwide were systematically reviewed, the development status and adaptability of key machinery and equipment were summarized, the cross-country differences in implement configuration and process-chain coordination were compared, and the major directions and trends in smart and information-enabled technologies that empowered sweet potato mechanization were synthesized. Overall, sweet potato mechanization in China exhibited a structural imbalance characterized by relatively strong upstream operations but pronounced weaknesses in mid- and downstream stages and insufficient regional suitability. Key bottlenecks included incomplete machinery-agronomy parameterization and standard systems, inadequate provision of integrated equipment sets for hilly and small-plot conditions, and limited adaptability and reliability of critical components under complex operating conditions. To meet the needs of high-quality and large-scale production, a system-integration pathway grounded in lightweight and integrated equipment systems and driven by closed-loop intelligent control and information-enabled coordination was proposed, thereby promoting a shift from single-operation optimization to stable, quality-enhancing upgrading across the entire production chain and providing support for food security, green production, and the development of the intelligent agricultural machinery industry.