Sweet potato leaf folder
Leaves are folded and tied with silk, and small caterpillars inside eat windows in the leaf until it turns brown.
Crops it attacks
Where the damage shows
When to act
Check 20 plants at 5 spots weekly in the first 2 months. Act only when more than 1 in 4 leaves are folded with live larvae. The vines regrow from light damage.
What to spray
- Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstakiIRAC 11AShopeeLazada
- SpinosadIRAC 5ShopeeLazada
- Neem (azadirachtin)IRAC UNShopeeLazada
Active ingredients only, never brands. The IRAC group tells how it works: switch to a different group next time, so the pest does not learn to survive it. Spray only when the damage is worth the cost, and only with products registered with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority for your crop. Follow the label. The Shopee and Lazada links only show who sells something with that active ingredient, not a recommendation of any seller or product.
How to prevent it
- Pick and crush folded leaves with larvae inside while the attack is light.
- Remove wild morning glory and other vine weeds of the same family around the field.
- Plant clean vine tips and keep the crop growing fast with enough water.
- Rotate with rice or corn, and do not plant beside an old infested field.
Natural enemies and biological help
- Small wasps, spiders and predatory bugs kill many larvae in the folds. Leave light attacks unsprayed.
Where this comes from
Not sure it is this one?
Many pests look alike. Send a photo to Anee, the smart farm technician in anee.io. She reads it with your crop, its age and the weather, and tells you what it most likely is and what to do first. In Tagalog or English.