Biocontrol of sweetpotato weevils
Thursday, August 4, 2011 - 09:01
in Earth & Climate
The warm humid conditions of the tropics make it tough for farmers to keep their crops pest free. For sweetpotato growers in Micronesia, the sweetpotato weevil seems to defy efforts to control its population. Some farmers have been applying toxic pesticides in an effort to control the weevils but they have not been successful. Since the grubs bore inside the tubers, the chemicals do not affect the immature stages. The sweetpotato weevil is a year round pest under warm conditions and even small populations can cause severe damage to the tubers.