A LSU scientist is part of a research project which is being conducted to find a natural way to control sweet potato weevils in Africa. LSU Agricultural Center scientist, Jeff Davis, will work with North Carolina-based AgBiome LLC, which develops microbial solutions for agriculture.
AgBiome received a multi-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to find biological insect control for small farms. The project's goal is to find beneficial microbes with the ability to control the weevils.
Sweet potatoes are a key dietary staple and supplemental food crop in sub-Saharan Africa. The potatoes are an important source of vitamin A, a nutrient critical in preventing blindness and immune system weakness. The sweet potato weevil is the crop's most serious insect pest and can destroy 60 percent to 100 percent of the crop if left untreated.
There are no viable control methods for the weevil in Africa. Biological control would offer low- or no-exposure risk.
Source: theadvocate.com
