on sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.; Premnotrypes spp. on potato, Solanum tuberosum L.; and Palaeopus dioscoreae Pierce on yam, Dioscorea spp.. Few studies have evaluated biological control ...
Sweet potatoes are susceptible to garden raiders like sweet potato weevils, aphids, whiteflies, wireworms, root-knot nematodes, and white grubs that damage the roots and can reduce yields.
Pests such as sweet potato weevils, the sweet potato bug (pictured), leaf miners, vine borers, hornworms, and nematodes are the main culprits. — Forest and Kim Starr photo The reason why?