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Asian Journal of Biological Sciences

Year: 2014 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 5 | Page No.: 198-207
DOI: 10.17311/ajbs.2014.198.207
Economic Importance of Sweetpotato Weevil, Cylas puncticollis B. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and its Management in Eastern Oromiya, Ethiopia
Tarekegn Fite, Emana Getu and Waktole Sori

Abstract: Field experiment was conducted with an objectives to estimate losses caused to sweetpotato due to Cylas puncticollis damage and devise integrated management options for the pest in eastern Ethiopia. The study was conducted at Haramaya University in eastern Ethiopia during the rainy season (June-Nov.) of 2011. The experiment was laid-out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications in a factorial arrangement. The factors were; three levels of cropping systems (sole sweetpotato (as control), sweetpotato intercropped with maize and sweetpotato intercropped with haricot bean), three levels of earthing-up (1x, 2x and 3x) and two levels of harvesting periods (prompt and 1 month delayed harvesting). Data collected were number of damaged and health storage roots, weight of healthy and damaged roots and yield of maize and haricot bean. These data were analyzed using SAS version 9.2 and means were separated using Least Significant Differences (LSD). Results of the studies suggested that the three way interaction effect was highly significant (p<0.01). Sweetpotato intercropping with maize, three times earthing-up and prompt harvesting has reduced percentage weight loss from 68.28 to 8.46% and yield loss from 70 to 22.26%. The highest (1.53) Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was obtained from sweetpotato-haricot bean intercropping followed by sweetpotato-maize (1.28) cropping system. Similarly, cost-benefit analysis showed sweetpotato intercropped with haricot bean resulted in high economic profit than sweetpotato intercropped with maize and monoculture. Therefore, integrated use of the three cultural practices favorably reduced weevil’s impact on sweetpotato and resulted with higher economic benefit. Hence, sweetpotato farmers are advised to use these eco-friendly economical tools in area where C. puncticollis is economically important insect pests of sweetpotato.

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How to cite this article
Tarekegn Fite, Emana Getu and Waktole Sori, 2014. Economic Importance of Sweetpotato Weevil, Cylas puncticollis B. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and its Management in Eastern Oromiya, Ethiopia. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, 7: 198-207.

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