function shs_animate_next(){ Sweet potato weevil is difficult to control effectively, even with the use of insecticides. Before the weevils can say, "There's a fungus among us," they are infected with a fungus that can seriously disable and eventually kill them. This document is subject to copyright. Your opinions are important to us. Pheromone traps show promise for monitoring of adult population density and might have potential for mating disruption and trapping. jQuery('#shs_slider_ul .shs_items:first').before(jQuery('#shs_slider_ul .shs_items:last')); and Terms of Use. Rotate sweet potato with other unrelated crops to reduce weevil population build up. It causes damage in the field and in storage crops. Systemic insecticides are preferred. Due to the long duration of the crop, pre-plant applications are commonly followed by one or more insecticide applications to the plant or soil at mid-season.
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We do not guarantee individual replies due to extremely high volume of correspondence. function(){ This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties. }). Thus the measures discussed above and other options to control weevil become useful in our drought preparedness activities and awareness. After hatching, the larva burrows directly into the tuber or stem of the plant. The larva is legless, white in color, and displays three instars. Could this year's flu season be used to determine the effectiveness of virus masks? Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no The warm humid conditions of the tropics make it tough for farmers to keep their crops pest free. The National is distributed five days a week from Monday to Friday. University of Guam scientist Dr. Gadi V.P. You can be assured our editors closely monitor every feedback sent and will take appropriate actions. jQuery(document).ready(function() { You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties. jQuery('#shs_slider_ul').css({'left':'-300px'}); This insect pest can cause damage as high as 97% yield reduction when not managed. The head is black; the antennae, thorax, and legs orange to reddish brown; and the abdomen and elytra are metallic blue. Sweetpotato weevil control. Crop rotation – rotating sweet potato with other unrelated crops will be helpful to reduce weevil population build up; variety selection – in highly infested areas, it is useful to select deep rooting and early maturing varieties so that the tubers are formed deep under the soil, making weevil access difficult. Diseases, especially the fungus Beauveria bassiana, can inflict high levels of mortality under conditions of high humidity and high insect density, but field conditions are rarely conducive for control. Advertisement. He has been developing effective trapping methods that utilize scents attractive to weevils (pheromones) and lethal fungi to control weevil populations. var shs=setInterval(function(){ shs_animate(); },7000); Eggs are deposited in cavities created by the female in roots or stems. Weevils can feed on sweet potato and weeds in the same plant family, thereby making cultural controls as a potentially useful control method in sweet potato production [55,56]. jQuery('#shs_slider_ul').css({'left':'-300px','width':item_width*total_width+10}); Nottingham. egg, larva, pupa, adult) and takes about 33 days to complete a life cycle. Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. The pest is very difficult to control, even using insecticides. Role of the inflammatory markers and distinguishing them. The warm humid conditions of the tropics make it tough for farmers to keep their crops pest free. Headquartered in Port Moresby, it has offices in Five (5)centres: Lae, Mount Hagen, Kokopo, Madang and Goroka. Some farmers have been applying toxic pesticides in an effort to control the weevils but they have not been successful. if(rcount < 3){ No Mistaking this Bug with New Insect ID Technique, Researchers make most precise measurements of deuterium fusing with a proton to form helium-3, The first demonstration of phase-matching between an electron wave and a light wave, 30,000-year-old twin remains found in ancient grave in Austria, Three high-redshift quasars detected by Chandra, Multiple sightings of mysterious bigfin squid documented in the Great Australian Bight, Truth and facts about eating candy, ice cream as well as junk food. Several strains of entomopathogenic nematodes, including Steinernema and Heterorhabditis, penetrate the soil and tubers, killing weevil larvae. Consult UF/IFAS recommendations for currently labeled insecticides for sweet potato weevil control in Florida. The content is provided for information purposes only. The pupa is similar to the adult in appearance. Hence, it is not only inconvenient but not practical for farmers to spray insecticides at night. Using sex pheromone traps (attractive chemicals release by females) attract adult male weevils in large numbers that can be collected and killed, thus help to reduce the male population.