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Among food crops in terms of consumption, potato ranks fourth, most important and valuable crop worldwide in terms of production and area harvested after maize, wheat and rice. In the coming years, potato production must keep pace with global population expansion nutritiously and sustainably which can partially be achieved by reducing the yield losses caused by the destructive pest and disease activities to the crop. The challenge of 70–80% total microbial crop yield loss posed by pathogens must be addressed for sustainable potato production in order to properly alleviate the global starvation problem. Potato as a food security crop can help to achieve the four food security requirements: food availability, quality, accessibility and stability. Health benefits of potato have shown the presence of phytochemicals as well as resistant starch which serve as anticancer and antidiabetic. The role of potato in the global food security should not be over emphasized, hence in this chapter we want to give an overview on the global hunger and food security at present, and the role played by potato as a food security crop. In addition, potato yield losses caused by pests and diseases especially phytopathogens, their etiology and the role of crop protection in sustainable potato production to alleviate global starvation problem will be discussed.

Sunflower and cotton fields in the Pandamatenga plains of northeastern Botswana were surveyed in 1998 and 1999 for weed infestations. Twenty-seven and 24 species were identified from the fields in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Nineteen and 17 species were found to be annuals in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with Amaranthus hybridus L. as the niost abundant species. In 1998, Ipomoea coscinosperma Hochst., Phyl/anthus maderaspatensis L., Trichodesma zylanicum (Burm. f.) R. Br. and Acalypha crenata L., all broad leaved species, were the most abundant after A. hybridus in that order; whereas in 1999 the most abundant species after A.hybridus were A. crenata, P. maderaspatensis, Euphorbia hirta L., and T. zylanicum. Setaria verticil/ata (L.)P.Beauv., which was the most abundant grass weed in 1998, declined in abundance in the following year and in 1999 Brachiaria eruciformis (Sm.) Griseb appeared in larger numbers than S. verticil/ata. Two grass weeds, Sorghum verticil/if/orum (Steud)Stapf and Rottboel/ia exaltata L., which were present in small numbers in both crops during this survey, can pose a serious challenge to crop production in the area if not adequately controlled.

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