The Major Sweet Potato Weevils; Management and Control: A Review

Abstract

Sweet potato is an important food crop, grown commonly in tropical and subtropical regions, but production has been subjected to less research worldwide, compared to the major staple crops. Sweet potato weevils are the major destructive pest causing drastic yield decline and resulting in a decrease in millions of dollar annually. A wide range of management strategies in controlling sweet potato weevils includes; cultural method, chemical method, biological method, Sterile Insect Technique, soil management, Sterile Insect Release, pheromone traps, Host Plant Resistance and Integrated Pest Management. However, the chemical method is limited by larvae internal feeding, whilst the biological approach has been constraints to some point. The pheromone method has enhanced for monitoring of sweet potato weevils, but adapting to integrated pest management is most highly effective and environmentally safe to growers. This paper reviews the factors that contribute to the infestation of weevils, mode of infestation, and various control management strategies towards decreasing the infestation of weevils in the plantation of sweet potato.