ARS | Publication request: Evaluation of Advanced 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 Advanced 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 cutlivars that have increased levels of insect resistance. This report describes a field evaluation of 25 advanced sweetpotato entries from the USDA ARS program at the U. S. Vegetable Laboratory (USVL), 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 a field evaluation of 25 advanced sweetpotato entries from the USDA ARS program at the U. S. Vegetable Laboratory (USVL), Charleston, SC, 2002. Sixteen entries, including 'Regal' and 'Diane', had significantly higher percentages of undamaged roots than 'Beauregard' or 'SC 1149-19'. Twelve entries had significantly lower ratings for WDS complex (Wireworm, Diabrotica, Systena), than 'Beauregard'; however, only 'Regal' and 98-294 had significantly lower WDS ratings than 'SC 1149 19'. Four entries had significantly lower infestation levels of SPW than 'Beauregard', and 21 entries had less sweetpotato weevil damage than 'SC 1149-19'. No entries had significantly lower infestation levels of sweetpotato flea beetle than any of the susceptible checks in 2002.