Establishment of Formal Seed System for Sweet Potatoes to Improve Access to Clean Planting Materials

TLDR

• MWANZA: FARMERS have been urged to step up control of sweet potato weevils and viral diseases that can wipe out up to 90 per cent of harvests, posing a serious threat to food security and farmers’ incomes.
• She further said TARI-Ukiruguru has established a formal seed system for vegetatively propagated crops, including sweet potatoes to improve farmers’ access to clean planting materials and reduce the spread of viruses.
• The researcher urged farmers to use certified clean planting vines, uproot and destroy infected plants and inspect their fields regularly to limit the spread of the disease.