Combate del gorgojo del camote (Rhyssomantus sp. Curculionidae)

Abstract

Experiments were conducted by the Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Sciences on control of a sweet-potato weevil of the genus Rbyssomatus. 1 be females of this insect usually deposit the eggs at the base of the stem of the sweet-potato plant the larvae may destroy this part of the stem as well as the roots If edible toots are formed they frequently are made unmarketable by the weevil damage in the field and in storage. In these experiments, insecticides applied to the soil and disked in just before the vidges were made for the sweet-potato cuttings gave varying degrees of control of the insect Lindane, applied at the rate of 40 grams actual insecticide (gamma isomer of benzene bexachloride) per 100 square meters of soil surface, resulted in a considerable increase in total weight of roots harvested as com pared to the untreated plots, but the percentage of infested roots was high. The insecticides Aldvin and Dieldrin, applied at the rates of 40 grams and 30 grams respectively of actual insecticide per 100 square meters of soil surface, resulted in considerable increase in total weight of roots barrested, greater size of individual roots, and much reduced percentage of weeril damage Assays are under way to determine whether or not the insecticides were incorporated into the edible mass o이 the sueet-potatoes.