You have no items in your shopping cart.
ABSTRACT
Ipomeas batas commonly known as sweet potato by many, is susceptible to several insect herbivores, but herein examined were its growth and yield response to insect herbivory. Using stem runners potato cuttings were cultivated in planting bags, which were replicated ten times in three different treatment settings; chemical exclusion, physical exclusion and the last without any exclusion (no pest management). Plant vigor and yield were assessed using stem length, number of leaves (with and without herbivore damage), number of runners, tuber weight and tuber count.
 Physically excluded I. batatas significantly recorded more number of leaves than those that were exposed and treated with Lambda cyhalothrin. Physically excluded I. batatas recorded the highest number of runners than the other two treatments, with the exception of week three where the chemically excluded I. batats recorded the most number of runners. Number of damaged leaves recorded highest in chemical excluded sweet potato than the other two treatments. General herbivory and folivory were highest in chmically excluded and lowest in physically excluded. After harvest, physically excluded recorded the highest yield. Physical exclusion of I.batatas resulted in increased yield and productivity and reduced infestation of insect herbivores.
