Soil insect pests can be extremely problematic in Louisiana sweet potato production. The majority of insect damage in sweet potato occurs on the root surface and consists of unattractive scars and holes. The market tolerance for this cosmetic injury is very low, and minimal insect damage can drastically affect the marketability of the crop.

Effective weed management is a critical aspect to successful sweet potato production since weeds compete for nutrients, water and sunlight and impair crop yield and quality. Perennial weed management, preplant burndown and in-season management included.

(Distributed 11/08/07) Sweet potato harvest conditions in Louisiana have been more cooperative in 2007 than in 2006, when late season rains caused several acres to go unharvested. And though the acreage is down slightly – 15,000 acres compared to 16,000 acres – the yields should more than compensate, according to Tara Smith, LSU AgCenter sweet potato specialist headquartered at the Sweet Potato Research Station in Chase, La.

Cucumber beetles (rootworms) are significant insect pests of sweet potatoes in Louisiana. Adults and larvae of these insects feed on sweet potatoes, but larvae are the most damaging. Descriptions of the banded cucumber beetle and the spotted cucumber beetle, as well as management strategies for these insects, are included in this publication. (PDF Format Only)

Results of surveys in Louisiana and North Carolina measuring impacts on sweet potato packing lines. The surveys were conducted as part of the USDA, CSREES, RAMP-funded Sweet potato IPM Project.

This publication deals with some of the insects that attack sweet potatoes in Louisiana. It covers such pests as beet armyworms, soybean loopers and cabbage loopers and includes background information, descriptions of the pests and details on the damage they can cause. PDF format only.

Harvest has begun in Louisiana for one of our most popular crops – the sweet potato. Louisiana farmers produce about 5 million bushels a year. The total value to the Louisiana economy in 2007 was more than $110 million. Louisiana boasts the only sweet potato research station in the country – a 307-acre facility in Chase. The Sweet Potato Research Station will host a field day Aug. 14.

Sweet potatoes are subject to attack by soil and foliage insect species throughout the growing season. Sweet potato weevils may be a problem in storage. Insect damage causes economic losses in quality and overall yield, and growers sustain significant losses to root-feeding soil insects.

Contains selected information related to sweet potatoes from the LSU AgCenter Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations.

This article describes types of beetles and the damage they cause.