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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #93074
Title: MULTIPLE INSECT RESISTANCE IN DRY-FLESHED SWEETPOTATO BREEDING LINES FOR THE USA AND CARIBBEAN

Author
item Jackson, D
item Bohac, Janice
item LAWRENCE, J. - CARDI, JAMAICA
item MUELLER, J. - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Sweetpotatoes in the USA and Caribbean are damaged by several insect pests that reduce yields and lower quality. Losses may exceed 50% in developing countries where low-input agricultural systems predominate. New integrated pest management techniques that require few resources are needed for production of sweetpotatoes in these countries, including Jamaica. Host plant resistance is one attractive pest management technique that meets these low-input requirements. The USDA, ARS, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, in cooperation with Clemson University, has a long history of developing sweetpotato varieties with resistance to insect pests and diseases. Advanced sweetpotato clones with moderate to high levels of resistance to the major insect pests found in the USA have been released under this program. Although the primary objective of this breeding program is to produce copper-skin, sweet orange-flesh varieties for U.S. markets, breeding efforts for dry-flesh types of sweetpotatoes also are maintained. Consumers in Caribbean countries primarily utilize dry-flesh sweetpotato varieties. Dry-flesh varieties also have potential for use in the USA for such value-added products as french fries and nutritious chips. Several dry-fleshed sweetpotato clones with multiple pest resistance have been identified from field evaluations in the USA and Jamaica, and these clones are being developed further.

Technical Abstract: Sweetpotatoes in the USA and Caribbean are damaged by several insect pests that reduce yield and quality. Losses often exceed 50% in countries where low-input agricultural systems predominate. Thus, there is a need for IPM techniques that require minimal resources. Host plant resistance is an attractive pest management technique that meets these low-input requirements. The USDA, ARS, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory (USVL), in cooperation with Clemson University, has a long history of developing sweetpotato cultivars with multiple resistance to insect pests and diseases. Advanced sweetpotato germplasm resistant to WDS (Wireworm-Diabrotica-Systena) complex, flea beetles, grubs, and sweetpotato weevils have been released by the USVL/Clemson program. This ongoing program utilizes a polycross nursery, which includes insect-resistant parents, for the production of sweetpotato seeds. Seedlings are screened for nematode and disease resistance in the greenhouse before they are evaluated in the field. Roots showing acceptable agronomic characteristics and insect resistance are carried forward in the breeding program to in advanced testing. Although the primary objective of the USVL/Clemson breeding program is to produce copper-skin, sweet orange-fleshed varieties for markets in the USA, breeding efforts for dry-fleshed germplasm are also maintained. Consumers in Caribbean countries primarily utilize dry-fleshed sweetpotato cultivars Dry-fleshed cultivars also have potential for use in the USA for such value-added products as french fries and nutritious chips. As a result of the USVL/Clemson breeding program, we have identified dry-fleshed sweetpotato entries with pest resistance for use in the USA and Caribbean.