ARS | Publication request: Evaluation of Dry-Fleshed Sweetpotato Entries for Resistance to Soil Insect Pests, 2002.

Submitted to: Arthropod Management Tests
Publication Acceptance Date: March 10, 2004
Publication Date: August 1, 2004
Publisher's URL: http://www.entsoc.org/pubs/index.html
Citation: Jackson, D.M., Bohac, J. 2004. Evaluation Of Dry-Fleshed Sweetpotato Entries For Resistance To Soil Insect Pests, 2002. Arthropod Management Tests. Volume 29. Online Journal At HTTP://WWW.ENTSOC.ORG/PUBS/INDEX.HTML.

Interpretive Summary: Most commercial sweetpotato cultivars have little resistance to soil insect pests, which can severely limit marketable yields. Thus, there is a need to develop new cultivars that have increased levels of insect resistance. This report describes a field evaluation of 49 advanced dry fleshed sweetpotato entries from the USDA, ARS program at the U. S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC, 2002. Several of the advanced lines were more resistant to soil insect pests than were the susceptible check cultivars. The most promising of these advanced clones will be developed as breeding lines or new sweetpotato cultivars.

Technical Abstract: This report describes two field evaluations of advanced dry fleshed sweetpotato germplasm from the USDA, ARS sweetpotato breeding program at the U. S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC. These field experiments included an insect susceptible, orange fleshed check cultivar ('Beauregard'), an insect resistant, orange fleshed check ('Regal'), two insect susceptible, dry fleshed checks ('Picadito' and 'GA 90-16'), and two insect resistant, dry fleshed checks ('Sumor' and 'White Regal'). The first experiment had 19 dry fleshed test entries and the second experiment had 33 dry fleshed test entries. For the first experiment, 18 advanced breeding lines and checks had a significantly higher percentage of undamaged roots than 'Beauregard'. All but one of the entries had significantly lower WDS index (Wireworm, Diabrotica, Systena) than 'Beauregard'. Five entries had a significantly lower percentage of infestation by white grubs than did 'Beauregard'. Twenty entries had a significantly lower percentage of infestation by sweetpotato weevil than did 'Beauregard'. For the second experiment, several entries had percentages of uninjured roots comparable to the insect-resistant checks.