1. business and industrial
2. agriculture and forestry
3. crops and seed

TAME Air Potato
in Florida
UF/IFAS Extension
A N I N D E P E N D E N T ST U DY CO U R S E F O R
R E S T R I C T E D - U S E A P P L I C ATO R S
Air Potato Management Workbook (Edited 2015)
An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Single copies
of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.
Preface
The independent study course: TAME Air Potato, is designed for use by agricultural pesticide applicators
intending to earn continuing education units toward renewal of their restricted-use pesticide licenses
under the provisions of the Florida Pesticide Law (Chapter 487 Florida Statutes) and its rules (Chapters
5E-2 and 5E-9 of the Florida Administrative Code). It is also relevant for applicators licensed under Ch.
482. Any herbicides discussed in this workbook are solely for educational purposes and does not imply
endorsement.
About the Instructor
Ken Gioeli is the Natural Resources Extension agent for UF/IFAS Extension St Lucie County. He conducts
educational campaigns designed to teach professional land managers as well as general homeowners how
to adopt practices and innovative technologies that will result in improved natural resource management.
Grading
Workbooks are graded on the second and last Fridays of the month.
References
Center, T. and Overholt, W. Classical Biological Control of Air Potato in Florida. UF/IFAS EDIS ENY-864
Available Online: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in957
Center, T. and Overholt, W. Air Potato Leaf Beetle (Suggested Common Name), Lilioceris cheni Gressitt
and Kimoto (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae). UF/IFAS EDIS EENY-547 Available
Online: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in972
Gioeli, K. 2015. Air Potato Biological Control Extension Needs Assessment Webinar. UF/IFAS. Available
Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5GNc1nY11s&app=desktop
Gioeli, K., Overholt, W., Rayamajhi, M., Rohrig, E., Hibbard, K., Diaz, R., and Manrique, V.
2014. Air Potato Biological Control Website. UF/IFAS. Available Online: http://bcrcl.ifas.ufl.edu/
airpotatobiologicalcontrol.shtml
Langeland, K. and Meisenburg, M. 2014. Natural Area Weeds: Air Potato (Dioscorea bulbifera). UF/IFAS
EDIS SS-AGR-164. Available Online: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag112
Overholt, W. A., L. Markle, M. Meisenburg, L. Raz, G.Wheeler, R. Pemberton, J. Taylor,M. King, D. C.
Schmitz, G. R. Parks, M. Rayamajhi, E. Rohrig, E. Lake, M. Smith, T. D. Center, V. Manrique, R. Diaz.
2014. Air Potato Management Plan. Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. Available at: http://www.fleppc.
org/Manage_Plans/AirpotatoManagementPlan_Final.pdf.
TA M E A I R P OTATO
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Photo Credits
Pg. 1 Air Potato Leaf Beetle
Pg. 6 Air Potato Leaf Beetle Egg
Pg. 6 Air Potato Leaf Beetle Larvae
Pg. 7 Air Potato Leaf Beetle Pupa
Pg. 7 Air Potato Leaf Beetle Adult
Ken Gioeli, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County
Citation
Gioeli, K., Overholt, W., Rayamajhi, M., Rohrig, E., and Hibbard, K. 2015. TAME Air Potato Online Course Workbook.
UF/IFAS
Air Potato Program Partners
Bill Overholt, UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center, Fort Pierce, FL, billover@ufl.edu
Min Rayamajhi, USDA-ARS, Invasive Plant Laboratory, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Min.Rayamajhi@ARS.USDA.GOV
Ken Hibbard, FDACS Division of Plant Industry, Fort Pierce, FL, Kenneth.Hibbard@freshfromflorida.com
Eric Rohrig, FDACS Division of Plant Industry, Gainesville, FL, Eric.Rohrig@freshfromflorida.com
Ken Gioeli, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, Fort Pierce, FL, ktgioeli@ufl.edu
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SECTION 1
Identifying Air Potato
Answer the questions below using the information online at http://bcrcl.ifas.ufl.edu/airpotatobiologicalcontrol.shtml
under the link “Identifying Air Potato”.
1. How many species of yams (plants in the family Dioscoreaceae) occur in
Florida?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 4
TAME Air
Potato in Florida
d. 6
An Independent Study Course for
Restricted-Use Pesticide Applicators
2.Dioscorea floridana and Dioscorea villosa are native members of
the family Dioscoreaceae found in Florida.
a. True
b. False
*The course must be completed and
received by the UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie
County office no later than the close
of business on December 31, 2015.
Students must have at least 70%
of the questions answered
correctly to receive
CEU’s.
3.The vine of the air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) twines in what
direction?
a. Left
b. Right
4.Do wild yams (Dioscorea villosa) and Florida yam (Dioscorea floridana)
have bulbils?
a. Yes b. No c. Sometimes
5.The stem of the air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) can be described as…
a. Roundish
b. Square
c. Three sided
d. Doesn’t have a stem
6.The leaf apex of zanzibar yams (Dioscorea sansibarensis) extends in a slender tail-like appendage and can
be described as …
a. Round
b. Variegated
c. Caudate
d. Serrated
7.This yam (plant in family Dioscoreaceae) is often confused with air potato.
It is found throughout
Florida, originated in Asia, has bulbils, and square stems that twine to the right.
a. D. bulbiferab. D. alatac. D. sansibarensisd. D. polystachya
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SECTION 2
Biological Control Concept
Answer the questions below using the information online at http://bcrcl.ifas.ufl.edu/airpotatobiologicalcontrol.shtml
under the link “How Biological Control Works”.
8.Exotic plants are those that originated in a different geographic area.
a. True
b. False
9.Plants can reach much ____________ densities when moved to now geographic areas because they
escape control by natural enemies that occur in their native range.
a. Higher
b. Lower
10. Biological control involves the identification of specialized natural enemies that are ___________
host specific.
a. Highly b. Moderately c. Loosely
11. If successful, the natural enemies provide a self-sustaining and ________ suppression of the target
weed.
a. Permanent
b. temporary
c. ephemeral
d. dangerous
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SECTION 3
Meet the Air Potato Leaf Beetle
View the Air Potato Biological Control Extension Needs Assessment linked on the course website and answer
the questions below
12. The air potato leaves can be described as very (3:37).
a. Waxyb. Dullc. Wavyd. Buliferous
13. Air potato bulbils a. Grow
to the ground and sprout new vines (3:56).
b. Emerge
c. Drop d. Wave
14. Air potato bulbils emerge from the a. Leaf rachis
b. Leaf node
(4:03).
c. Leaf apex
d. Leaf margin
15. The scientific name for the air potato leaf beetle is (11:11).
a. Lilioceris chenib. Schinus terebinthifoliac. Sus scrofa
d. None of the selections
16. What side of the leaf does the female air potato leaf beetle lay eggs on? (11:19).
a. Top side
b. Underside
c. Leaf margin
17.Female air potato leaf beetles lay this average number of eggs (11:19).
a. 1000
b. 3200 c. 1800
d. 4300
18. Air potato leaf beetle eggs hatch and larvae begin feeding in groups called what? (11:34)
a. Aggregations
b. Sounders
c. Clutches
TA M E A I R P OTATO
d. Cults
6
19. When fully grown, larvae descend to the soil and produce an oral secretion that hardens into a
cocoon. (11:46)
a. Fossil-like
b. Foam-like
c. Bufo-slime-like
d. sugary
20. The life cycle of the air potato leaf beetle takes 30 days at 77 degree F. (12:23)
a. Trueb. False
21. When air potato leaf beetles are released onto the vines, you let nature take its course. (13:54)
a.
Trueb. False
22. Common sense question:
Does it make sense to use herbicides to kill off all your air potato vines before you release
air potato leaf beetles?
a.
Yesb. No
23. Explain why you selected the answer for Question 22. TA M E A I R P OTATO
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SECTION 4
Herbicide Control of Air Potato
Answer the questions below using the information online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag112
24. Is air potato relatively susceptible to glyphosate?
a. Yes
b. No
25. Is it possible for you to damage desirable plants when applying glyphosate to air potato vines climbing
on native plants?
a. Yes
b. No
26. Herbicide applicators should position themselves back.
a. Upwind
of the air potato to avoid herbicide drift
b. Downwind
27. Herbicides should be applied at this time of the growing season for the best results:
a. Early
b. Middle
c. Both Early and Middle
d. Late
28. Several follow-up herbicide applications will be necessary in successive years.
a. True
b. False
29. Sanitation involves the removal of as many bulbils as possible from the site.
a. True
b. False
30. It is important to dispose of all plant material, including bulbils, in a way as to not spread the vines to
new areas.
a. True
b. False
31. _____________ apply herbicides according to label instructions.
a. Always
b. Sometimes c. Never d. Only when colleague tell me to
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TAME Air Potato in Florida
A S T U D Y C O U R S E F O R R E S T R I C T E D - U S E P E S T I C I D E A P P L I C ATO R S
COURSE ENROLLMENT FORM
*The course must be completed and received by the UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County office no later than the close of business on
December 31, 2015. Students must have at least 70% of the questions answered correctly to receive CEU’s.
Last Name First Middle Mailing Address City (
State ) ____________________
Phone Number
(
Zip )
Fax Number
Pesticide License Type: Private
Public
E-mail
Commercial
Pesticide License Number Workbook Completion Date I attest that the work completed in the TAME Melaleuca Workbook is my own work.
Signature Date Mail the completed TAME Air Potato Workbook, the signed enrollment form, and a check for $10.00 made
payable to the UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County Advisory Council, Inc. to the following:
Ken Gioeli
Extension Agent IV / Natural Resources
UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County
8400 Picos Road, Ste 101
Fort Pierce, FL 34945
(772) 462-1660 ktgioeli@ufl.edu
Course participants will receive their CEU form after the Workbook has been graded. Ken reserves the right to
refuse to grant CEU’s unless all work is shown in the Workbook.
Please complete the course evaluation.
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E N D O F C O U R S E E V A L U AT I O N
TAME Invasives Online Training
Air Potato Course Module
Thank you for completing the Air Potato online training course through the TAME Invasives portal at http://pesticide.
ifas.ufl.edu. UF/IFAS Extension St Lucie County is always looking for ways to serve you better. Please take a moment to
complete this short survey and mail it back to us. It will help us know how we’re doing, and how we can better meet your
future needs.
Satisfaction
Please circle the appropriate number for your level of response.
Was this online course taken for CEU’s for pesticide license renewal?
1. Yes
2. No
Not Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
The relevance of information to your needs.
1
2
3
4
Quality of the online course.
1
2
3
4
How satisfied are you with:
Ease of use and accessibility of the course materials.
1
2
3
4
Layout of the online course.
1
2
3
4
Knowledge
Please circle the appropriate number to indicate your level of knowledge about the following topics before and after
completing the program. Only complete the section pertaining to the coursework you completed. Please use the following
key for rating:
1.Very Low
= Don’t know anything about this topic.
2.Low
= Know very little about this topic
3.Moderate
= Know about this topic but there are more things to learn
4.High
= Have good knowledge but there are things to learn
5.Very High
= Know almost everything about this topic
Air Potato Course
Did the online course meet your expectation? How do you rate your
knowledge about:
1. Yes
BEFORE THIS ONLINE COURSE
Very
Low
Low
Moderate
High
2. No
AFTER THIS ONLINE COURSE
Very
High
Very
Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very
High
Air Potato Biology
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Air Potato Identification
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Lifecycle of the Air Potato Leaf
Beetle
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Understanding how biological
control agents might be used to
manage Air Potato
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Herbicide Application Methods for
Air Potato Control
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Will you take additional TAME Invasives online coursework in the future?
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1. Yes
2. No
Would you recommend this online coursework to others? 1. Yes 2. No
If not, why: What did you like the most about this online training course? What did you like the least about this online training course? How could this online training be further improved? Demographics
What is your gender?
1.Male
2.Female
How do you identify yourself?
1.African American
2.American Indian/Alaskan
3.Asian
4.Hispanic/Latino
5.White
6.Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
7.Other
Thank you for completing this evaluation.
We appreciate your input as we make every effort to improve Extension programs.
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