Global Advanced Research Journal of Agricultural Science (GARJAS) ISSN: 2315-5094

March 2014 Vol. 3(3): pp. 100-105

Copyright © 2014 Global Advanced Research Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of Pre-harvest application of Lamda-cyhalothrin and Neem Seed Extracts in the management of Cowpea bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus Fab.(Coleoptera:Bruchidae) on stored cowpea.

¹Ahmed*, I.A., ²Kiyawa, S.A., ³Maryam, T.A., ⁴Kutama, A.S and ⁵Isah, I.B.

¹Samaru College of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Colleges, A.B.U. Zaria

²Department of Chemistry, F.C.E. Ttech) Bichi

³Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Kano State Polytechnic

⁴Department of biological sciences, Federal University, Dutse

⁵Department of Biological Sciences, Police Academy, Wudil

Corresponding Author’s E-mail: inusaahmed@gmail.com

Accepted 21 March, 2014

Abstract

Field and Laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of pre-harvest application of synthetic insecticide, lamda-cyhalothrin and botanical, neem seed extract on cowpea bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus Fab.  Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria. The designs used were Randomized Complete Block Design and Completely Randomized Design for field and laboratory experiments respectively. The cowpea variety used was SAMPEA-7, which was sown on 4^th and 6^thAugust in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Six treatments were used which were designated as T1,T2 and T3 for 2,3 and 4 sprays of Landa-cyhalothrin; T4 and T5 for 5 and 6 sprays of neem seed extract; and T6 as a control where there was no spray of either of insecticides. The treatments were replicated four times. The parameters assessed were number of bruchids per treatments, percentage of seeds damaged and percentage germination of the seeds. The lowest number of C. maculatus and lowest percentage of seeds damaged were recorded in the seeds from those plots that have one pre-harvest sprays of lamda-cyhalothrin and neem seed extract. At the end of the storage period of six months highest germination percentage was recorded in the seeds from the plots that were sprayed four times with lamda-cyhalothrin  and from those sprayed six times with neem seed extract. Germination percentages were highest in the seeds from the plots that were sprayed four times with lamda-cyhalothrin  and six times with neem seed extract. And their last sprays were carried out eighty-two days after sowing (82 DAS) as pre-harvest spray which had significantly reduce the initial initial infestation of the cowpea seeds by C.maculatus 

Keywords: cowpea, Callosobruchus, insecticides, lamda-cyhalothrin, neem, pre-harvest.