Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-18
SWEET POTATO INDUSTRY OF SOUTH
THREATENED BY WEEVIL, SAYEXPERTS

Unless rigid control methods are
practiced to prevent the spread of
the sweet potato Weevil in the Gulf
states. Americas sweet potato in
dustry may be seriously jeopardized,
according to specialists of the Unit
ed States deartment of agriculture.
Last year $3,500.000 worth of sweet
potatoes of the Gulf country were
destroyed by the weevil Texas,
Louisiana and Florida growers suf-
fered the heaviest losses, while in
other sections Of the south the crop
was damaged from 25 TO so per
cent. Federal entomologists. in Il
publication Just issued, Farmers
Bulletin 1920. The Sweet Potato
the history and control of this in
sect, laying particular stress on the
ACCESSIBILITY of guarantees of the
infested sections. They outline an
effective system Of eradication
which, if rigidly followed, will be
ond most valuable vegetable crop,
the 1918 sweet potato crop having
been valued at $116,00O,000.
The sweet potato weevil, a small
snOul-beetle, red and blue in color
and antlike in appearance. bears the
same relation to sweet potato pro-
duction that the boil WeeVil does to
cotton. Tho female weevil lays
her eggs in the vines, and in the
stalks or crowns near the ground,
and also on the. roots in the field
and in store. continuing to work and
breed in the roots in storage. The
larvae. on Matching, tunnel through
the vines to the roots. the vines die
and frequently the roots become
badly riddled and filled With eX-
J1Io hi %nN
taste that even swine will not eat
them. Present knowledge indicates
that the pest is spread mainly by
the commercial movement of the
sweet potato crop. as the weevil,
although winged, travels very slow
ly in spreading infestation.
Often Active During Winter
Unless restricted by low temporal
lures, the weeviIs are fairly active
during the winter, feeding with avid
ity C the. stored roots, reports Is,,t the
the - ng. slips begin to appear in
the seed bed, the weevils feed on
the stalks and leaves, while later on,
when the stalks reach Sufhc lent size
and begin to get woody, the weeyil
plants just below the earth line.
When the potatoes develop The larvae
and burrow their way through the
tubers and finally rest IN burrows
about one-quarter. Of an Inch below
the surface and there transforms to
pupae and ultimately emerge from
the tubers as adults. Often in Stor-
age, the tubers become very dry and
imprison the larvae which die in
Control Is Difficult
So far as is known the sweet po-
tato weevil has no natural enemies.
It's control would be comparatively
simple through extensive quaran-
tines in the producing sections were
it not that the pest also breeds on
morning glory and blndwccI. Con-
troll measures include the cleaning
UP of all old sweet potato fields by
destroying the vines. stems, tubers
ana other remnants. Then the
Ground should be deeply DlOWed or
narrowed and kept free frcin volun-
| teer. sweet potato and morning glory
vines.
All sweet potatoes should he gath
| cred and divided in the field into
(2) roots slightly infested for
ed. The third class or 5Iils with
all remnants of an unsala5le nature
should be gathered and fed to hogs,
to insure that no weevil may escapc
to extend the infestation. If the
potatoes are unfit for feeding to
! live stock they should be burned
with the aid of straw, dried weeds.
paper, or oil.
Crop rotation is an effective con-
| troll measure. Indeed, injury to a
| large extent is preventabie where
care is used in the selection Of the
| potato field for future planting. The
new field should be as. far as pos
sibie from old sweet potato fields
which have been infested and if
possible should be separated from
! it by natural barrier, such as a
| strip Of woodland or such Il crop as
| corn, tobacco. or Irish potatoes. The
new crop should also be planted at
| a distance from the seed bed. One
| grower reports a decrease rom rs to
| ner cent annually in ais sweet