Addressing Sweet Potato Pest Challenges in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Sweet potato is a vital staple, export, and processing crop in SVG, but local production faces severe threats from two main pests: the sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius) and the white grub (Phyllophaga spp.). Together, these pests cause farmers to lose 20% to 30% of their harvest, damaging stems and tubers and leaving them unmarketable.

To tackle this perennial issue, CARDI, in close collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the SVG Ministry of Agriculture, is launching target control trials on local farms!

Field Visit & Trial Details:

Host Farmer Collaboration: The team visited prominent sweet potato farmer Mr. Ashton Gibson in Queen’s Drive—recommended by Mr. Isaac Yearwood of the Ministry’s Extension and Advisory Services—where significant white grub damage was observed in recent harvests.

Evaluating 5 Treatments: The upcoming trial on Mr. Gibson’s farm will compare conventional treatments against organic alternatives:
– Control (untreated)
– Chemical: Diazinon
– Chemical: Imidacloprid
– Chemical: Bifenthrin
– Organic/Biological control: Beauveria bassiana

Our goal is to generate concrete, data-backed recommendations to help Mr. Gibson and sweet potato farmers across St. Vincent and the Grenadines safeguard their crop yields and boost marketability!