ISHS Acta Horticulturae 583: I International Conference on Sweetpotato. Food and Health for the Future
SWEETPOTATO WEEVIL CONTROL |
| Authors: | S.F. Nottingham, S.J. Kays |
| Keywords: | sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius, sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas, pest control. |
| Abstract:
The sweetpotato weevil (Cylas formicarius) is the major pest of sweetpotato worldwide. Yield losses of up to 80% can occur. A range of control strategies are available. Cultural control methods, including sanitation, mulching and the destruction of alternative hosts, are widely practised. However, chemical control is constrained by the internal feeding of the larvae, while biological control strategies have been limited in extent. Sex pheromones have improved monitoring for the weevil. Work on developing host-plant resistance has resulted in cultivars with moderate levels of resistance. The identification of chemicals from sweetpotato that influence weevil behavior, and transgenic crop technology, offer new approaches for resistance breeding. This paper reviews the control strategies available, with an emphasis on selecting for resistance based on emerging knowledge concerning the chemical ecology of the sweetpotato weevil. | |
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