Farmers face approximately 28% loses of farm produce to weevil attacks. Sometime, due to climate changes with prolonged dry seasons, weevils may increase. In cases where it is only sweetpotato remaining as food destruction by weevils can be quite devastating. Additionally, undamaged root parts can accumulate toxins hence health threats. …
Read More »African sweetpotato weevils (SPW), Cylas puncticollis and C. brunneus, pose a major threat to sweetpotato, which plays a vital role in food security and income generation for both the urban and rural poor in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). SPW can limit sweetpotato production causing total crop loss. Control methods such as integrated pest management …
Read More »
Assessment of the impact of transgenic crops on non-target organisms (NTO) is a prerequisite to their release into the target environment for commercial use. Transgenic sweetpotato varieties expressing Cry proteins (Bt sweetpotato) are under development to provide effective protection against sweetpotato weevils (Coleoptera) which cause severe economic losses in sub-Saharan …
Read More »
Weevil resistant sweetpotato (WRSP) varieties development project, aimed to achieve genetic transformation of African varieties to resist weevils attack. This presentation reports the year 4 progress. Briefly, it shows the progress in genetic transformation in Peru, Kenya, and Uganda, screening of weevil resistance transgenic events (TE), TE field trials, and …
Read More »
Sweetpotato Knowledge Portal