Insect pests of sweet potato in the Sudan savanna zone of Ghana

Sweet potato (Ipomea batatas L. Lam) is the third most important root and tuber crop in Ghana, cultivated largely in Sudan and coastal savanna zones of the country. Yields are marginally low owing to low soil fertility, pests and diseases infestation and absence of improved planting materials. Innovations on soil fertility management and improved varieties have been available but research on pests and disease problems have remained relatively neglected. This study was therefore designed to identity the pest associated with the crop and the damage they cause. Farmer interviews, field observations and destructive sampling were conducted in 2013 and 2014 in five districts of the Upper East Region in the Sudan savanna. Cylas spp, Acrea acerata, Bemisia tabacci, termites and grasshoppers all attacked the crop with the first two being most important. Cylas spp occurred in over 90% of farms damage estimates revealed that it caused 30.8% and 41.4% damage to vines and roots respectively during the 2014 cropping season.