pests and diseases can be a major challenge for yam growers. To prevent and control these problems, you should practice good crop management, including crop rotation, pest monitoring, and the use of insecticides and other control measures. By taking these steps, you can ensure a successful and productive yam harvest. Yam is a valuable food crop that is widely grown for its nutritious and delicious tubers. However, growing yam can also be challenging, as it is susceptible to several pests and diseases that can cause significant damage to the crop. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most common pests and diseases that affect yam and what you can do to prevent and control them.
Pests of Yam:
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Yam Beetle: The yam beetle is a major pest of yam, causing significant damage to both the leaves and the tubers. The larvae of the beetle feed on the roots and tubers, making them unmarketable. To control the yam beetle, you can use insecticide sprays or introduce natural predators, such as birds and lizards, into your field. pests and diseases of yam
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Yam Fly: The yam fly is another common pest of yam. The larvae of the fly feed on the tubers, causing them to rot. To control the yam fly, you can use insecticide sprays or cover the tubers with soil to prevent the larvae from accessing them.
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Snails: Snails can also be a problem for yam, feeding on the leaves and stems of the plant. To control snails, you can use snail bait or introduce natural predators, such as birds and ducks, into your field.
Diseases of Yam:
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Yam Mosaic Virus: Yam mosaic virus is a disease that causes yellowing, stunted growth, and reduced yields in yam plants. There is no cure for the virus, and infected plants should be removed and destroyed. To prevent the spread of the virus, you should practice crop rotation and avoid planting yam in areas where the virus has been previously reported.
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Yam Bacterial Wilt: Yam bacterial wilt is a disease caused by bacteria that infects the leaves and stems of the yam plant, causing wilting and death. There is no cure for the disease, and infected plants should be removed and destroyed. To prevent the spread of the disease, you should practice crop rotation and avoid planting yams in areas where the disease has been previously reported.
In conclusion, pests and diseases can be a major challenge for yam growers. To prevent and control these problems, you should practice good crop management, including crop rotation, pest monitoring, and the use of insecticides and other control measures. By taking these steps, you can ensure a successful and productive yam harvest. pests and diseases of yam
Pests and diseases of yam and their control methods. Efforts to breed resistant yam clones focus on major diseases and pests.
Yam tuber pests make holes in tubers, resulting in low tuber marketability.
How to Control the Spread of yam pest:
Apply insecticide like BHC at planting to avoid disease spreading around
Dust yam sett with aldrin dust
Practice crop rotation to control disease spread
How to Control Spread of yam disease
By hand picking
Dust with chemicals like Agrocide 3 powder.
How to control rodent pests of yam
Rodents: Rats and rabbits eat up tubers
Control: Set traps to catch the rodents.
To control rodent pests of yam, you can try the following methods:
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Physical barriers: Use wire mesh or hardware cloth to protect the yam storage from rodents.
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Traps: Set traps in the storage areas, and regularly monitor and remove trapped rodents.
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Repellents: Spraying natural repellents, such as peppermint oil or ammonia, can deter rodents.
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Habitat modification: Reduce the rodents\’ habitat near the yam storage area by removing piles of debris and trimming tall grasses.
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Rodenticides: As a last resort, use rodenticides in accordance with the label instructions and applicable laws. pests and diseases of yam
It\’s important to keep the storage area clean, minimize food sources for rodents, and implement multiple methods to achieve effective control.
How to control Diseases of Yam like yam mosaic disease and yam rot disease
Control of Yam diseases
Grow resistant varieties
Spray with insecticides
Causes of Yam rot:
Symptoms: Liquid oozes out from the infected tuber. White–brown liquid emits a pungent odour.
Destroy all affected yam
Apply aldrin dust
Practice crop rotation
how to control the spread of yam leaf spot disease
Yam leaf spot:
It is caused by a fungus (Cercospora spp) which is spread by wind.
Symptoms of yam leaf spot:
Symptoms include dead spots on the leaves
How to Control the Spread of yam leaf spot:
To prevent pests and diseases of yams, follow these best practices:
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Use disease-resistant varieties: Choose yam varieties that have resistance to common diseases in your area.
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Crop rotation: Avoid planting yams in the same spot each year. Instead, rotate your crops to different parts of the field each season.
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Sanitation: Keep the growing area clean and free of debris. This will help reduce the build-up of disease-causing pathogens.
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Proper irrigation: Ensure proper drainage and avoid overwatering, which can create an environment that is favourable to disease development.
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Use of pesticides: If necessary, use pesticides that are specifically labelled for yam pest and disease control. Be sure to follow the label instructions carefully.
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Pest monitoring: Regularly inspect your yam plants for pests and signs of disease, and treat them promptly if necessary.
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Crop management: Proper crop management practices, such as proper spacing, pruning, and adequate fertilization, can help keep yam plants healthy and reduce the risk of pest and disease problems.
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