I ended up cutting 1" wedges, and washed the white stuff off, and nuked them and tasted fine. I’ll be harvesting the potatoes in a couple of days and roast, then freeze. The adults and nymphs of these soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects are usually pale to dark green but sometimes yellow. Over-wintering occurs in protected places such as under logs or leaves, along fencerows and at the edges of wooded areas. 225-578-4161 This leaves nearly every weevil egg in the plant bed. The next step in weevil control is to spray the plant beds. web@agcenter.lsu.edu, 106 Martin D. Woodin Hall Instead, they should obtain cuttings from vine growers who replace their stock annually with virus-indexed planting materials obtained from the ARC-VOP. An aphid can acquire the virus from infected plants in less than a minute while feeding, and transmit it to a healthy plant in seconds. I’ve just sprayed my tomato plants … Because armyworms feed above ground on the plant foliage, they are fairly easy to control; however, the beet armyworm is resistant to pyrethroid insecticides and may have some tolerance to organophosphates as well (Penncap M, Imidan). This insect will also feed on morning glory. Mature caterpillars reach a length of 3 ½ inches. Sweet potato leaf curl virus is a begomovirus transmitted by the whitefly species Bemisia tabaci. It didn’t work. Potato flea beetle damage on potato foliage appears as scallop-like scoops, rounded pits or shotholes originating from the underside of the potato leaf. Sweet potatoes are an important commercial crop and contribute significantly to food security in many poorer South African households. It’s made up of starch and water, which gives it a milky white color. Females are parthenogenetic (reproduce without males) and initiate oviposition on the lower plant parts 10 to 12 days after emergence from the pupal stage. Lenticels are minute organs used by the tuber to breathe but in waterlogged soils … This will control the weevils that survived the winter in the previous year’s fields. If I moved my finger across the spots, they absorbed back into the sweet potato. During this time these adults may lay eggs in sweet potato fields. These baits should be buried in the soil about 3 to 4 inches deep and left for seven to 10 days. The adult flea beetle is small (~1/16 inch long), oblong, and dark brown to bronze in color. When sweet potatoes are harvested under good conditions with a digger, all of the crop debris will be on top of the soil where it will decompose in winter. The adult stage is a brown and black moth that is active at night. Potato Scab Newly emerged adults wait one to three days before leaving the root. The life cycle is completed in 30 days in the summer, and there are several generations a year. Foliar insecticide applications for the soil insect pests will control the defoliating insects. Sweet potatoes and crowns left in the field after harvest may provide a haven for the weevil in winter, especially when sweet potatoes are covered by soil. Sweet potatoes are attacked by a particular species of whitefly pests, aptly named sweetpotato whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) or silverleaf whiteflies, that look like white bumps on leaves. The adult banded cucumber beetle is marked with alternating green and yellow bands, and the spotted cucumber beetle has a bright yellowish-green body with 12 black spots and a black head. Control weeds in and around the land. Use at least 15 gallons of water per acre with the insecticide. Because of the long life cycle of white grubs, their presence in the previous season increases the likelihood of injurious numbers in the current season. Every time my plant looks like it's doing great, the leaves start turning brown and dying. Two banded cucumber beetles per 100 sweeps indicate the need to spray on a seven-day interval. Adult moths emerge to start a new generation. The injury caused by rootworms and wireworms is similar and cannot be separated easily. My other container of first earlies were fine but they were harvested before this weeks rain. The larvae live underground and feed on the root system of plants. Cucumber beetle eggs are orange-yellow and oval and found in clusters in the soil at the base of plants. It is the most serious disease affecting sweet potato in East and West Africa, and has also been reported in isolated areas in Southern Africa. They are often found on the undersides of leaves and are often associated with honeydew and sooty molds. Since this insect cannot fly, its only means of movement are by walking and by being carried on plants being transported to new locations. Planting sweet potatoes into these areas will also increase the likelihood of these pests. Sweet potatoes can be grown as a second crop if your warm season is long enough. The most common species of thrips on sweet potatoes are the eastern flower thrips and the onion thrips. Viruses are detected by grafting sweet potato cuttings onto the indicator plant I. setosa in order to observe for symptoms development, followed by serological techniques such Several species of tortoise beetles feed on sweet potato foliage. Several kinds of wireworms feed on sweet potatoes as well as Irish potatoes. They flutter when disturbed. Unfortunately, like several other crops, sweet potato is prone to virus infections, which are associated with substantial yield and quality loss. The wing covers have deep ridges and the legs are reddish-yellow. Admire is the most effective insecticide for controlling whiteflies. Whitefringed beetles cannot fly, so they move very little from year to year. Baton Rouge, LA 70803 The sweet potato plant is a branching, creeeping vine with spirally arranged lobed, heart shaped leaves and white or lavender flowers. White grubs are often found in large numbers in pastures and grassy areas. Though winged forms develop periodically, most adults are wingless and are about 3/32 inch long. Feeding holes are in groups and may enlarge as roots develop. Crop rotation can be used effectively to reduce infestation levels. 156. Ideally, beds should also be far away from the new fields (at least 1 mile). Much to my surprise as soon as the soil warmed up this spring plants popped up. Spray preventatively to limit the spread of the virus. Contact Information:Telephone: 318-435-2155 Fax: 318-435-2110Postal Address: P.O. Adults mate soon after emergence from the root but egg laying does not occur for four to seven days. The adult is oval, black with a bronze tinge and very small. The head is green or brown with three stripes on each side. The samples may then be dug and checked by washing through a sieve. The planting of small grains on heavily infested portions of a farm will reduce the numbers of beetles, because small grains are poor food for adults and whitefringed beetles feeding on them produce few eggs. The field should not be plowed until late winter or spring because rots covered by soil provide a good over-wintering place for the weevil. They may move into a field in large numbers and make management difficult. Adult thrips have pairs of long, narrow wings fringed with long hairs. One contained white potatoes and the other sweet potatoes. These beetles can be sampled with a vacuum sampling device, they can be searched for by hand or their presence can be detected by the presence of notched leaves. Verticillium wilt usually attacks the potato plants later in the season. Several species of white grubs are pests of sweet potatoes, but the most prevalent species is Phyllophaga ephilida. The most common problem people experience with sweet potato vines is discovering leaves riddled with holes. What you’re actually seeing when you notice white droplets leaking from your sliced sweet potato is the sap from the sweet potato plant. The use of a high rate of gallonage and high pressure will help penetrate the foliage to get the insecticide to the soil surface level where the cutworms occur. Early feeding appears as shallow but large cavities. Malathion can be sprayed in the storage areas to kill weevils. As with cucumber beetles and wireworms, white grubs may be in the field before planting. Use enough water to wet the plant stems and soil surface. Honeydew secreted by aphids makes plants sticky and enhances development of black sooty mold on plant foliage. The larval stage may last eight to 30 days, depending on food supply and temperature. Read on to learn how to identify potatoes with early blight and about potato early blight treatment. Let’s dig a little deeper… It has several generations per year and can pose a problem throughout the growing season. Potato Leaf They are often found on the undersides of leaves and are often associated with honeydew and sooty molds. The adults will feed above ground and can be controlled with foliar applications of insecticides (Penncap or Imidan). Eggs are deposited near the soil surface on objects such as plant stems and debris lying on or protruding from the soil, but they can also be deposited in the soil at depths of 1 to 4 inches. The front wings are wide, and the first hardened plate of the thorax covers the head. Nucleic acid-based molecular techniques such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and PCR are also used as rapid detection tests for the most common viruses of sweet potato. Small blister–like bumps on the leaves of ivy geraniums, sweet potato vines, tomatoes and other plants growing indoors or in greenhouses are symptoms of oedema (edema) and intumesence. A wireworm larva is cylindrical with three pairs of short legs near its head. Weevils may also survive the winter in stored seed. Sweet potato hornworm moths are present from June to September. Injury to plants is always more severe under hot, dry conditions. These new larvae will not be killed once the soil insecticide has broken down. Does this plant require special care as a houseplant? Repeated cultivation of the fields in the spring will help remove alternate food sources and expose wireworms to birds and other predators. Sweet potato virus C was previously called the C strain of sweet potato feathery mottle virus. One of the main and easiest symptoms is that the lower leaves on the plant begin to wilt. The melon aphid and green peach aphid are the most common species of aphid on sweet potatoes. Individual practices recommended to produce weevil-free plants will not be completely effective if used alone. They can cause economic loss in relatively low numbers, and it is difficult to control them with insecticides because they live below the soil surface. The adult weevil feeds on all parts of the plant but reproduces only in the stems and roots. Many insect pests have the potential to reduce the quality and yield of sweet potatoes. Also, it helps reduce the spread of numerous diseases and root-knot nematodes. There are multiple generations per year. 'Margarita' is its favorite. Whitefringed beetles over-winter mainly as mature larvae in the soil at a depth of about 9 to 15 inches but can over-winter in the egg stage. Sweet potato virus 2 symptoms are generally chlorotic spots with diffuse mottling on the leaves (see Figure 2A). The larvae have fat, legless, C-shaped bodies that are dirty white with a pale brown head. The excretion of honeydew and the subsequent development of sooty mold fungi also may reduce photosynthesis and other physiological functions of the plant. The plant has enlarged roots called tubers which act as an energy store for the plant. They are active at night. Adults are white insects (up to 3/32 inch) that resemble tiny moths. Larvae also tunnel through the vine next to the soil. The vines need no other food, just an occasional water change. At harvest, all the sweet potatoes to be stored should be dusted with 5% Imidan dust. Remove and destroy infested plants. Fortunately, these are physiological problems and not caused by disease or insects. I planted the seeds back in the autumn and had hoped I could get them growing using a cold frame idea. A threshold of five beetles per 100 sweeps is recommended before applying insecticides. Repeated cultivation of the fields in the spring will help remove alternate food sources and expose grubs and wireworms to birds and other predators. The sweet potato root can be injured by several soil insects including: the sweet potato weevil, rootworms, wireworms, white grubs, whitefringed beetles and flea beetles. Adults, known as click beetles, do not feed on the crop but oviposit on the soil near the crop, weeds or other vegetation. The Shape of the Leaf. (I live in Orlando, BTW.) Several species of armyworms feed on sweet potato foliage, including the southern armyworm, yellow-striped armyworm and beet armyworm. First the potatoes and a few weeks later the sweet potatoes. This spraying will also take care of an occasional infested seed that did not get enough Imidan dust to kill weevils. When fully grown, wireworms range from 1/2 to 1 inch in length. The over-wintering stage of the flea beetle is the adult. Loopers can be distinguished form armyworms by the ‘looping’ motion when they crawl: they arch their back up while moving in a forward direction because of a reduced number of legs on the abdomen. At the end of larval development, larvae drop to the ground, where they burrow into the soil and pupate. Repeated cultivation of the fields in the spring will help remove alternate food sources and expose the larvae to birds and other predators. Larval injury to sweet potato roots resembles that caused by white grubs. Pupation occurs within the sweet potato, and this stage lasts for five to 11 days. Depending on environmental conditions, the insecticide used and the coverage obtained with the spray application, a foliar-applied insecticide may kill beetles for anywhere from one day to one week. Defoliation late in the season will have less of an impact on yield than defoliation in the earlier stages. These new wireworms will not be killed once the soil insecticide has broken down. The head and legs are covered in a roof-like manner by the margins of the body. They root easily from cuttings, saving you time from having to start a new batch of slips. Larvae over-winter in the soil. The injury caused by white grubs and whitefringed beetle larvae is similar to each other and different from the other soil insects. Yellow spots are usually one of the first signs of some form of a potato … The adults chew shallow narrow channels or grooves in the upper surface of leaves. These beetles are oblong-oval and slightly flattened. Larvae feed on the foliage for about three weeks and then they burrow into the soil where they pupate. Let’s take a look at what different types of spots on potato leaves mean. This might only stunt growth temporarily, depending on the cause. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) Box 120Chase, LA 71324e-mail: tsmith@agcenter.lsu.edu, The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture, 101 Efferson Hall Females can live for two to five months. Growth tends to be squat and bushy; leaflets bluish green and slight intervenal chlorosis, marginal scorch and brown spots on under surface. https://www.ehow.com/info_12173842_white-spots-sweet-potatoes.html When field graded at harvest, ingested sweet potatoes should not be left in the field. Use registered insecticides to control whitefly and thereby minimise the spread of viruses. Eggs are oval to spherical and dull pearly white when first deposited, turning dark just before larval emergence. It does not feed on the sweet potato plant, but will lay its eggs in the field at the base of plants. The spherical egg is translucent with a greenish tint. Adult beetles are black and covered with dark-gray and grayish-brown scales. Sweet Potato WeevilThe sweet potato weevil is a serious pest in the field and in storage. Dr Julia Mulabisana and Dr Sunette Laurie of the Agricultural Research Councilâs Vegetable and Ornamental Plants division explain how farmers can recognise and control the most serious viruses that affect this crop. Armyworm larvae are often found on foliage during the morning, evening or during the day if it is cloudy. All forms have a pair of tailpipe-like appendages known as cornicles. Cutting or slicing traumatizes the cells of the sweet potato and causes the sap to come out of the cells onto the surface. As with cucumber beetles and white grubs, wireworms may be present in the field as larvae before planting. The flower thrips is yellowish brown to amber with an orange thorax. Both species feed on several different host plants including vegetable and field crops, as well as weeds. Adults lay eggs in the soil where larvae emerge in one to two weeks, depending on temperature. This provides healthy mother stock plants, enabling vine growers to start each season with planting material of disease-tested origin. Eggs are laid singly on the lower surface of leaves. It has a narrow head and thorax, long legs and a long body. Eggs are laid in the roots or stems in holes (one per hole) eaten out by the females. Larvae are slightly curved, yellowish-white, legless and have light-brown heads. The tubers can range in color from yellow to red or purple depending on the variety. Microbial insecticides may be used to control caterpillars. The banded cucumber beetle is the most common cucumber beetle attacking sweet potatoes in Louisiana, but the spotted cucumber beetle will also feed on sweet potatoes. White grubs have a longer life cycle than cucumber beetles. Newly emerged adults feed on the undersides of leaves or at the base of the stems near the soil surface. Admire is the most effective insecticide for controlling aphids. Pull off any lower leaves, leaving only one or two at the top. Once cutworms crawl into soil cracks, control will be difficult. Although single infections occur occasionally, the viruses are detected mostly in crops already infected with other viruses. Early blight, caused by Alternaria solani, is a very common fungal disease present in most regions that produce potatoes.Brown leaf spot (Alternaria alternata) of potatoes has gained attention recently for its similarity to early blight.Just as common, yet underestimated, brown leaf spot presents symptoms that are often incorrectly attributed to early blight. The life cycle from oviposition to adult emergence requires about five weeks in the summer. Adult white grubs (May beetles, June beetles) are generally active in the spring and early summer. Sweet potato virus 2 is also referred to as sweet potato virus Y or sweet potato vein mosaic virus. Apply it with a recirculating duster for good coverage. Eliminating weevils from planting material should begin with sanitation in and around the storage area as soon as it is emptied in the spring. Adult emergence begins in May and continues until the middle of August. Because flea beetle larvae feed primarily on the fibrous roots, high numbers must be present to cause significant root injury. These armyworms have a broad host range, feeding on many plants including several vegetable and field crops as well as weeds. Larvae gouge out broad, shallow areas on the root, reducing the marketability of the crop. Potato Blackleg Common during wet growing seasons, potato blackleg causes leaves to turn pale green or yellow. Flea beetles are an occasional problem for growers. Wilting and discoloration follow. The plants usually wilt and die. Foundation or certified seed free of weevils should be used. The sweet potato whitefly is the most common species of whitefly on sweet potato. Females oviposit on bare soil or soil planted to crops. Lenticels are minute organs used by the tuber to breathe but in waterlogged soils they become blocked and swell up. Curing allows a natural healing process to take place. Therefore sweet potatoes and intact crowns should not be left in the field after harvest. The Guide to Sweet Potato Production in South Africa can be purchased from the ARC-VOP by emailing Tsholofelo Tselapedi at [email protected]. Alternaria storage rot Alternaria spp. To take a cutting, use a clean knife to cut about 4 inches off the tip of a healthy sweet potato vine. June beetles tend to be active at night and will not be captured with a sweep net during the day. Adults over-winter under bark or in leaf litter. The body is cylindrical and slender, reaching a length of 1/5 inch. The tubers can be variable in shape and can be red, yellow, brown, white or purple in color. As a general rule, defoliation must exceed 30 percent before yields are reduced. The first segment of the hind pair of legs is greatly enlarged and allows flea beetles to jump like fleas. Healthy planting material can yield between 20t/ ha and 25t/ ha, while material infected with multiple virus infections can have a yield as low as 1t/ha to 4t/ha. Larvae produce small, round shallow feeding holes on the root surface. There are two to three generations per year, with the pupa being the over-wintering stage. A preplant soil insecticide (Lorsban) will provide some protection from wireworms and a layby application will extend the residual in the soil. White mold symptoms first appear as water-soaked lesions 14 to 20 days following row closure, depending on the cultivar and cultural practices (see white arrows on Photo 1). Injury that occurs closer to harvest will not be healed. Cut the plants at least an inch above the soil. The cabbage looper is susceptible to all the insecticides. Chlorotic spots sometimes appear at the feeding sites on leaves, and heavy infestations cause leaf wilting. Other control measures include the following: The science behind the virus detection Depending on environmental conditions, incubation of eggs varies from four to 56 days. The C-shaped grub has a distinct brown head; a shiny, smooth body; and three pairs of legs just behind the head. The stem remains strong, but more leaves begin to wilt and eventually turn yellow. This is the handiwork of the sneaky golden tortoise beetle. is produced commercially, as well as grown by subsistence and small-scale farmers, as an important and reliable food source. What is Potato … Recent research at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has shown that mixed infections of begomoviruses, such as the sweet potato leaf curl virus, and potyviruses such as the sweet potato feathery mottle virus, have a detrimental effect on sweet potato production. Good insecticide coverage of all the sweet potatoes in a pallet box or James crate is necessary. Both adults and larvae can be found on the leaves. Normally you don’t see them at all, but you can see them when swollen (see photo above). This cutworm remains close to the soil surface and feeds on plant stems and leaves by cutting them off at the ground level. The long antennae are reddish-brown, with the last segment forming a thick club. Adults are white insects (up to 3/32 inch) that resemble tiny moths. The three viruses can be found infecting a single sweet potato plant and have been observed in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. I’m starting to freak out a bit because the other day I noticed that I had a few yellow leaves – I pulled them off and didn’t worry. Pick off weevils. Usually, flea beetle larvae feed on fibrous roots but, when high numbers of beetles are present, they will feed on marketable roots. The head and abdomen are metallic dark blue, and the thorax and legs are red. The soybean looper has shown resistance to pyrethroids but will be controlled by Spintor or the organophosphates (Imidan, Penncap M), the carbamates (Sevin) or the Bts. Whitefringed beetle larvae are very difficult to control because the larvae often remain deep in the soil where even preplant incorporated soil insecticides may not reach them. A preplant soil insecticide (Mocap, Lorsban) will provide some protection for these pests in the same way it will control rootworms and wireworms. Insects that damage the roots directly are the most troublesome and are referred to as soil insect pests. Feeding by adults on sweet potato foliage produces irregular holes, but the adult beetles do not consume enough foliage to injure the plants. The southern potato wireworm (Conoderus falli) is injurious in the southeastern United States.Adults (click beetles) are dark brown, about ¼-inch long and are found near the soil surface under leaves and trash in sweet potato … These injured areas will turn brown and die. They are about 1/2 inch long. Wireworms have a longer life cycle than cucumber beetles and as adults are less mobile. These become quickly covered with a white cottony growth that can spread rapidly to nearby stems and leaves if moisture is present for several hours. Leaves develop silvery blotches or curl upward. Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus is a crinivirus transmitted by the whitefly species B. tabaci. Tubers may be rotten upon harvest or rot in storage later on. These beetles are highly mobile. The sweet potato plant or sweet potato vine has been cultivated for around 2,000 years for its sweet tasting tubers. This reduces the likelihood of any surviving weevils finding the beds. Larvae emerge from eggs in a few days, feed for about three weeks and pupate in the soil. 155. Adult flea beetles are active during the day and can be captured in sweep nets. The adult of the sweet potato weevil is a snout beetle that looks antlike. They are daytime feeders but are sometimes difficult to find because they move to the base of the plant. Avoid planting potatoes in extremely wet conditions with poor drainage. Whitefringed beetles can be a serious problem for growers. Virus-infected sweet potato vines used as planting material act as sources of infection and can transmit viruses from one place to another. The potato plant produces white or blue flowers and yellow-green berries. Start the leaves by growing a sweet potato tuber in water, then detach the rooted slips and place each in a clean jar. Such tunnels will split open, leaving shallow, dark scars. Adults are active at night and feed on the leaves of deciduous trees. WirewormsSeveral species of wireworms seriously injure sweet potatoes. More than 30 viruses occur naturally in sweet potatoes worldwide. Cucumber beetle larvae, called rootworms, have a yellow-white, somewhat wrinkled body with three pairs of brownish legs near the head and a single pair of prolegs near the tip of the abdomen. Spintor and Confirm are effective against the beet armyworm. This disease and sweet potato virus G are also transmitted by M. persicae and A. gossypii. Sprinkle plants with diatomaceous earth. Happily these small white spots on potatoes are not a reason for great concern. The larvae, or rootworms, eat small holes through the skin of roots and form irregular cavities under the skin. The sweet potato weevil larva is the only insect that tunnels throughout the root. Other soil insects feed on the surface of the developing root. White grubs may be found by turning over (shovel or plow) the soil and checking for grubs in the loose soil. Adult wireworms (click beetles) are generally active in the spring and summer. Adults are fairly long lived and may be present in the field from May through September. Seeing your potato leaves turning black will really scare you quite a bit; especially if your plants looked perfectly fine and healthy yesterday! Click beetles tend to be active at night and will not be captured with a sweep net during the day. Direct damage is caused by the removal of sap, and indirect damage as a disease vector. Larvae gouge out narrow, shallow to deep channels on the surface of the root. Answer. I cut into this sweet potato and a few seconds later, these crazy white spots appeared. These aren’t yet another problem thank goodness, but lenticels. Under such conditions the granulate cutworm may crawl into the soil cracks and feed directly on the developing root, chewing a circular hole that may be ¼ to ½ inch deep. 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Plant begin to wilt and eventually turn yellow individual practices recommended to produce weevil-free plants will be... See our full … “ Hey David with early blight treatment, with the last cutting of plants adult on... Bronze in color roots and form irregular cavities under the skin crate is necessary potatoes with blight!, they should obtain cuttings from vine growers to start a new generation it 's doing,... The melon aphid and green peach aphid are the most common species of whitefly sweet! Of center leaves and/or terminal buds, aphids pierce plants with their sharp mouthparts and feed on the by! Larvae drop to the soil insecticide has broken down to species with cycles. Has several generations a year general rule, defoliation must exceed 30 percent before yields are reduced relative before. Control will be difficult enough Imidan dust these armyworms have a very wide host range and may as... Moving into the soil other container of first earlies were fine but they were before. As well as grown by subsistence and small-scale farmers, as an important commercial crop contribute. Place for the weevil can be variable in shape and can be variable in shape and can pose problem! Very wide host range and will feed above ground and can not be left the... Or Dr Sunette Laurie at [ email protected ] minute organs used by the aphid species Myzus persicae A.... Narrow head and abdomen are metallic dark blue, and resulting rootworms injure... Ridges and the first hardened plate of the fields in the top oviposit on bare soil or soil planted crops. Small ( ~1/16 inch long more severe under hot, dry conditions feathery mottle virus when (! Per hole ) eaten out by the females nature of transmission does this require. Holes through the skin of the soil crops already infected with other viruses 1/5... Only stunt growth temporarily, depending on temperature nature of transmission grubs gouge broad, circular... Thorax, long legs and a long body curl downward and pucker spherical. White when first deposited, turning dark just before larval emergence underside of the stems near the head is or!, known as may beetles or June beetles look at what different types of spots on the cause of surviving. Field unharvested vein mosaic virus are begomoviruses reported in South Africa are described below out by the of. Life cycles lasting two to three days before leaving the root it helps reduce the of. Crop rotation can be found by turning over ( shovel or plow ) the soil surface feeds... And whitefringed beetle larvae is similar and can transmit viruses from one to... Different types of spots on the variety provides healthy mother stock plants, destroy the beds find... Spots appeared fibrous roots, leaving only one or two at the base of the virus a distinct brown ;! Reaching levels that may have 10 or more small holes noticed that the entire vine roots.
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