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Sweet potato problem #369437

Asked October 11, 2016, 7:33 PM EDT

I grew Bureguard sweet potatoes in a raised bed this summer and had lots of holes in the sweet potatoes as shown in the picture. Can you tell me what might have caused this and how I can avoid it in the future?

Queen Anne's County Maryland

Expert Response

The lesions appearing on the potato is caused by the larval stage of the wireworm. The adult may be more familiar to many is the click beetle.Late fall and early spring cultivation of the soil will expose the immature insect to feeding predators.
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/veg_fruit/hgic2215.html


ro
Answered by the Home & Garden Information Center's Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturists Replied October 12, 2016, 9:28 AM EDT
I understand that you mean I should turn the soil over in the raised bed in fall and early spring. Is there anything else I can do? pesticide? other?
The Question Asker Replied October 12, 2016, 5:57 PM EDT
Trap wireworms in pieces of potato scattered around the garden, rotate crops and plow or cultivate infested soil in late summer or in autumn to kill or expose various insect stages to predators. Cultivation in the spring, well in advance of planting can help reduce wireworm populations. The sweet potato varieties Nugget and All Gold possess some resistance.  Soil-applied insecticides do not eliminate wireworms.  vw
Answered by the Home & Garden Information Center's Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturists Replied October 13, 2016, 8:52 AM EDT

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