Sweetpotato Knowledge Portal
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 »Enhancing sweetpotato resistance to African weevils (Cylas puncticollis and Cylas brunneus) through transgenic breeding
Sweetpotato production is greatly constrained by two weevil species; Cylas puncticollis and C. brunneus that cause yield losses of up to 80%. The use of resistant sweetpotato cultivars is the most sustainable strategy to control the weevils. However, little success has been realized in developing resistant cultivars. Genetic engineering is …
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