On-farm evaluation of integrated pest management of sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius)

Abstract

The effectiveness of an integrated pest-management (IPM) package for sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius Fabricius) was evaluated against farmers' practice for 3 rainy seasons of 1998, 1999 and 2000 as on-farm trial in the farmers' fields of Ranga Reddy district, Andhra Pradesh. The package comprised selection of an uninfested weed (Ipomoea sp) - free fields, use of pest-free planting material, disinfecting the planting material by dipping in mollocrotophos 0.05% solution before planting; installation of sex pheromone traps @ 100/ha; re-ridging the crop 30 and 60 days after planting; harvesting 105-110 days after planting: destruction of infested crop residues; and continuation of pheromone traps till a fortnight after harvest. The sweet potato weevil damage was reduced (59.23%) and resulted higher economic yield (36.6 1%) over the control. The total expenditure incurred by adoption of the integrated pest-management package and the benefit received was computed to a benefit : cost ratio of 1.98.