Agronomic performance and pests of frafra potato (Solenostemon rotendifolius) in the Sudan savannah of Ghana

Surveys and farmer interviews were conducted to identify key pests attacking frafra potato. The sweetpotato butterfly, Acraea acerata, was the most frequently encountered pest, its larvae causing much of the defoliation observed on farmers' fields. White flies (Bemisia tabacci), leafhoppers, termites, grasshoppers/crickets and millipedes were also associated with the crop. However, farmers took no conscious pest control actions, due mainly to lack of technical know-how. Fresh tuber yields of the three types grown widely in the area ranged from 3–6.2 tons/ha, with the Red and Black types significantly out yielding the White during the two seasons. Controlling both foliar and soil pests increased tuber yields by 23 to 64% over the control. Copyright © 2005 Whurr Publishers Ltd.