The Tupelo journal., 1918-02-01
THE SWEET POTATO WEEvIL IN
MISSISSIPPI

Fol some years .NS
cron in certain sections OF the SCUM
has been severely injured, n IN
many cases, totally destroyed py an
insect known as the sweet poea.o
weevil (Cylas fermicarius FAB; IN
Florida and Louisiana the pest mas
ehoon present for many years n con-
siderable areas in the soutnerh par
of tho latter state and in Texas nave
become infected with the result tnat
in many localities the growing %
sweet potatoes on a commercial sea-"
has heen abandoned. The insect has
also anneared at other points IN the
Culf states, including Hancock anu
Jackson counties in Mississippi.
The sweet potato crop of Mlssls-
s;nni and more especially
mississippi is becoming more anu
more a commercial crop and anything
hat directly reduces the production
of sweet potatoes is to be cons,aeieo
as a menace to our agricultural si'
o+;on This fact cannot be TOO
strongly pressed since the 1000 SIT,
nation during the war is n Oh Vi'ai
inheritance not only to our own
country and people but to u allies
as we'll. Already the Federal govern
ment is buying the entire output OIL
MANY of our canning factories. Ihen'
too. the price of sweet potatoes mas
hoan doubled within the last year.
which fact alone is of great import
ance to the potato growers.
The adult insect is a bluish-black
and red weevil which closely resem-
bles an ant. The larva or worm IS a
white. footless grub, having a pale
brown head and reaching a length OF
about one-fourth of an inch. Ihese
grubs feed both in the stem OF the
vine and in the tubers. When the
larva first matches from the egg IL
begins to feed and tunnel. When the
egg is deposited in the vine the larVa
usually bores down through the stem
finally reaching the tuber. Often the
vines are completely killed or are Sc
riously damaged, causing them to be-
come yellow and sickly looking. Inc
damage to tubers is caused by tun-
neling through them, in severe cases
completely Kidding them with tunnels
and galleries. The morning glory IS
also a favorite food plant,
The adult weevil, while having
". rarely flies, consequently II
does not spread to any extent by
fight. The principal means by
which it is disseminated from one To-
cality to another and from n farm
to another is in the movement of IN
tested sweet potato seed n plants.
It is probably owing to this fact that
the insect has not become more WIDE
" distributed in Mississippi. If ev-
erv potato grower used his own seed
potatoes and plants, or bought from
a farm that he knew was absolutely
free from this weevil, the danger OF
spreading would be greatly decreas-
ed.
When weevils are found to be
present on a farm it is advised that
the following suggestions be observ-
ed:
% Fumigate sweet potatoes with
carbon disulphid for 80 hours or
longer at the rate of 3 or A pounds to
1000 cubic feet Of air space.
~ Never plant sweet potatoes on
the same ground for two years in sue
cession.
90 During harvest all sweet pota-
toes showing signs of weevil damage
should be culled out and destroyed
Immediately.
(4) All roots and vines should be
collected and burned in the field.
60 Hogs should be turned into the
field to pick up all sweet potatoes and
stalks that were overlooked.
CO. Keep down volunteer plants
and morning glory of all kinds.
The Bureau Of Entomology, U. 5.
Department Of Agriculture, and the
Mississippi Agricultural and Mechan-
ical College urgently request the CO.
operation of every sweet potato grow
er in the state. In case any one finds
suspicious material or insects Of any
kind in sweet potatoes, he should get
in touch with his county agent n
send specimens to the Entomologist,
Agricultural College, Miss.
Specimens should be sent in tight
wooden boxes or in a strong canvas
bag. If beetles only r sent it is
best to kill them by emering them in
a strong alcohol or gasoline or by
placing them in a closed receptacle
1;l,o vol opd heating UulcklV until