Tephritid fruit flies are serious pests of Ghana’s numerous economically important fruits and vegetables. Their damages include rotting, premature ripening, and dropping of fruits, which lead to severe production losses, reduction in export volumes, trade restrictions, and other health implications when infested fruits are consumed. Due to the activities of these pests, less than 10% of fruits (especially mango) and vegetables produced are exported, and more than 60% of them end up in waste yearly. With current regulatory measures, Ghana has made significant progress in managing fruit flies, especially after the European Union (EU) ban in 2015. However, the pests remain problematic in the sub-region. A more coordinated nationwide approach and investments in postharvest treatment facilities are anticipated to help reduce pest populations, increase trading volumes and incomes, increase access to other markets, including the United States, and boost Ghana’s economy. It is estimated that for every US$1 invested in managing fruit flies, the return on investment is US$93.

The sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is considered one of the most important crops in the world as food, fodder, and raw material for starch and alcohol production. Sweet potato consumption and demand for its value-added products have increased significantly over the past two decades, leading to new cultivars, expansion in acreage, and increased demand in the United States and its export markets. Due to its health benefits, sweet potato production has multiplied over the past decade in Brazil, promoting food security and economic development in rural areas. Their adaptability and nutritional value make them a food of great importance for Brazil. As pest attacks and disease infection are the main limiting aspects that often cause yield loss and quality degradation in sweet potatoes, there is a great demand to develop effective defense strategies to maintain productivity. There is a critical need for research into non-pesticide control approaches that can provide safe, cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly pest and disease management techniques. Pests which feed on roots have trade implications worldwide. For example, sweet potato tuber shipments infested with the sweet potato weevil are generally not allowed for trade in North and South America.

The cultivation of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas Lam (Solanales: Convolvulaceae), is important for food security (FAOSTAT BRAZIL, 2021 FAOSTAT BRAZIL; 2021 [viewed 15 July 2021]. Sweet potatoes, production quantity (tons). IOP Publishing Physics Web. Available from: https://www.factfish.com/statisticcountry/brazil/sweet%2520potatoes%2 C%2520production%2520quantity. https://www.factfish.com/statisticcountr... ). Roots and vines of sweet potato are food for humans and animals and industrial raw materials (Schoenherr et al., 2019 SCHOENHERR, A.P., RIZZO, E., JACKSON, N., MANOSALVA, P. and GOMEZ, S.K., 2019. Mycorrhiza-induced resistance in potato involves priming of defense responses against Cabbage looper (Noctuidae: lepidoptera). Environmental Entomology, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 370-381. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvy195. PMid:30715218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvy195... ). Sweet potato plants produce phytoalexins, latex and terpenoids with antibiosis effect, but insect pests can damage this plant (Santos et al., 2018a SANTOS, E.A.D., ANDRADE JÚNIOR, V.C.D., VIANA, D.J.S., SANTOS, A.A.D., SILVA, A.J.M.D. and FIALHO, C.M.T., 2018a. Sensitivity of sweet potato genotypes to clomazone and weed interference. Revista Caatinga, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 352-359. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252018v31n211rc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252018v... ). The leaf-mining microlepidoptera Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller, 1847) (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae) is native to Eurasia and one of the main insect pests of the aerial part of sweet potato plants (Steyn et al., 2020 STEYN, L.A.I., GEERTSEMA, H., MALAN, A.P. and ADDISON, P., 2020. A review of leaf-mining insects and control options for their management, with special reference to Holocacista capensis (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae) in vineyards in South Africa. South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 218-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.21548/41-2-4081. http://dx.doi.org/10.21548/41-2-4081... ; Santos et al., 2021 SANTOS, M.M., GOMES, G.N., PINTO, T.A.A., SILVA, I.M., LEITE, G.L.D. and SOARES, M.A., 2021. Geographic distribution of the Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) pest, Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae), in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, vol. 128, no. 2, pp. 617-621. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41348-020-00390-2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41348-020-003... ).

Management programs and efficient techniques are necessary to recover degraded ecosystems. The sewage sludge is rich in nitrogen (N) and with the potential to fertilize Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapinales: Sapindaceae), used in the recovery of degraded areas; this can affect the insect fauna. The study's objective was to evaluate, for 24 months, the abundance of chewing insects, dipterans, pollinators, and predators on S. saponaria plants fertilized with or without dehydrated sewage sludge in a degraded area. The experimental design was completely randomized (with the same characteristics) with two treatments (with or without dehydrated sewage sludge) and 24 replicates, each with one plant. The abundance of Anastrepha sp. (Tephritidae), Cerotoma sp. (Chrysomelidae), Curculionidae, Musca domestica L. (Muscidae), Mantis religiosa L. (Mantodea: Mantidae), Oxyopidae, Salticidae, Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera), and Teudis sp. (Anyphaenidae) was higher on fertilized plants. The abundances of Teudis sp. and Tmarus sp. (Thomisidae) and M. religiosa and Teudis sp. were positively correlated with chewing insects and Diptera, respectively. The population increase of insects and spiders on S. saponaria plants fertilized with dehydrated sewage sludge (bigger crowns) has shown to be suitable for recovering degraded areas with a higher number of niches and better food quality, improving the ecological indices of the area.