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Resistance in sweetpotato to sweetpotato weevil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

N. S. Talekar
Affiliation:
Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC), P.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 74199, Taiwan, ROC
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Abstract

Sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius formicarius F is the most destructive pest of sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas in tropical and subtropical regions. The larvae and adults feed on sweetpotato roots and crowns. For the past 12 years we have been screening sweetpotato germplasm for resistance to this pest in order to breed an agronomic cultivar with weevil resistance. Resistance screening is conducted at AVRDC and Penghu island in autumn and summer, respectively. Germplasm is planted between heavily infested source rows maintained in a weevil nursery. Roots are harvested, sliced into thin pieces, and the number of insects (larvae + pupae + adults) per unit weight, as well as the weight of damaged and healthy root slices, are recorded. The resistance rating is based mainly on the number of insects found in the root. Considerable differences in resistance rating are observed from location to location and season to season. Even at one location, tremendous differences are observed in weevil infestation of a particular entry among the replicates. Although over 1000 sweetpotato accessions have been screened, we have not found any that is consistently less damaged over several seasons at either location. Our recent screening of a population of I. trifida × I. batatas crosses show certain hybrids with high yield and low weevil infestation. These hybrids need to be evaluated further to confirm their resistance.

Résumé

Le charançon Cylas formicarius formicarius F. est le ravageur le plus destructif de la patate douce dans les régions tropicales et subtropicales. Les larves et les adultes attaquent les racines et les couronnes. Nous nous sommes attelés, durant les 12 dernières années, à trier le germplasme de patate douce pour la résistance au ravageur dans le but de développer des variétés résistantes et intéressantes agrono-miquement. Le triage pour la résistance était conduit à l'AVRDC en automne et dans l'île de Penghu en été. Le germplasme est planté entre des rangées de patate douce très infestées maintenues dans une pépiniérs à charançon. Les racines sont déterrées, découpées en tranches fines, et le nombre d'insectes (larves + pupes + adultes) par unité de poids est déterminé, ainsi que le poids des tranches attaquées et saines. La réaction de résistance est déterminée principalement en fonction du nombre d'insectes trouvés à l'intérieur des racines. Des différences considérables de résistance sont observées d'un endroit à l'autre et d'une saison à l'autre. Même dans un même endroit, il existe souvent d-énormes différences dans le niveau d'infestation entre différentes répétitions de la même entrée. Quoique nous ayons jusqu'à présent testé plus de 1000 entrées de patate douce, nous n'en avons trouvé aucune qui soit systématiquement moins attaquée dans l'un ou l'autre des deux sites expérimentaux. Notre travail récent d'évaluation d'une population issue de croisements I. trifida × I. batatas revele certains hybrides à haut rendement et à bas niveau d'infestation par le charançon. Ces hybrides méritent d'être évalués plus en profondeur pour confirmer leur résistance.

Type
Symposium X: Sweetpotato Weevil
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1987

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