No abstract

A field study was carried out during the early cropping season (March-May) of 2018 to evaluate the efficacy of Tephrosia vogelii (a plant extract) and some synthetic insecticides (Lambdacyhalothrin, Imidacloprid and Cypermethrin) on the major insect pests of cucumber and also to assess the yield and yield components of the crop under these treatments. The study was conducted at the Western Farm of the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Plant Health Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The experiment was laid in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five treatments replicated four times. The Treatments included: 300 g of leaf extract of Tephrosia vogelii, 5 ml of Lambdacyhalothrin, 5 ml of Imidacloprid and 5 ml of Cypermethrin. The efficacy of the treatments were evaluated based on the reduction of insects population, mortality rate of pumpkin beetle, percentage number of leaf defoliation, flower damage reduction and fruit weight yield. The results indicated that at 8 Weeks After Planting (WAP) the extract of T. vogelii and Cypermethrin significantly (P<0.05) reduced the population of pumpkin beetles, melon aphids and the highest mortality count of Pumpkin beetle was also recorded in the plots treated with Cypermethrin. At 4 WAP, the population was 11.5 for Cypermethrin-treated plots and 8.5 for T. vogelii-treated plots. These reduced to 1.0 and 5.0 respectively at 8WAP, which translates to 91% and 41% population reductions for Cypermethrin and T. vogelii. The results revealed that the Plant extract was not as effective as the synthetic Cypermethrin. The implication of these results is that T. vogelii can be used as an alternative to the synthetic insecticides for the control of insect pests of Cucumber in low-input farming systems of the tropics.

to determine the toxicity of powders of Piper guineense fruits, Dennittia tripetala fruits Allium sativum bulbs, Zingiber officinale rhizomes against the cowpea seed bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae) on stored mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.)Wilczek) seeds. The experimental design was a 4 x 5 factorial fitted into Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The rates for the different powders were 0.0, 0.5,1.0,1.5, 2.0g admixed with 20 g of mung bean seeds placed in plastic containers. The effect of the treatments were assessed on insect mortality at 48 and 96 hours, oviposition 7 days post treatment, adult emergence on 28 days after infestation, and seed viability test at the expiration of the experiment (42 days post treatment). The results showed that plant powders were effective in controlling insect infestation by recording significantly higher mortality, reduction in the number of eggs laid, and suppression of the development and emergence of adult progenies from the treated mung bean seeds compared with the control. Piper guineense provided the best protection for stored mung bean at 2.0 g/20 g compared with the other treatments, followed by Allium sativum. Dennittia tripetala and Zingiber officinale were almost the same in their performance. Plant materials did not affect the viability of the seeds. The results obtained suggest that the plant materials possess insecticidal properties and can be utilized in protecting stored mung bean from C. maculatus infestation since they are environmental friendly, cheaper than synthetic insecticides and safer for humans. Mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is one of the most important short season, summer growing legumes grown widely throughout the tropics and subtropics [1]. Mung bean cultivars [2] were a potential source of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals and proteins. The seeds and sprouts are excellent examples of functional foods that lower the risk of various diseases [3]. The seeds and sprouts have health promoting effects in addition to their nutritive value [4]. Today there is an increasing interest in western countries in the sprouting of seeds as consumers demand minimally processed, additive-free, more natural, nutritional and healthy foods. The seeds may be milled or ground into flour for making noodles, breads and soups. In rural areas, the immature green pods are also used as vegetable. Mung bean stalks, leaves and husks constitute a significant proportion of livestock feed. After picking of the pods, the whole plant may be ploughed in the soil to improve fertility. Like other legumes, mung bean is attacked by field to stored insect pests. Insect pest can significantly reduce mung bean profitability, reducing both yield and seed quality. In order to ensure food security for the citizenry, surplus grains are properly preserved in storage. Stored grains in addition to serving as a source of domestic food supply throughout the year, serve a as means to generate revenue for the farming families....

The efficacy of different leaf extracts of Chromolaena odorata, Carica papaya, and Ageratum conyzoides were evaluated in the control of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.) Flea beetles (Podagrica spp.) and to compare the plant extracts with a synthetic insecticide (Deltamethrine). The experiment was laid in the Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with five treatments and three replicates. The treatment includes 150g leaf extracts of Chromolaena odorata, Carica papaya, and Ageratum conyzoides, distilled water (control), and a synthetic insecticide (Deltamethrine) as a standard check. The efficacy of the treatments was evaluated based on reduction of okra flea beetles population and percentage defoliation of leaf lamina. The results indicated that leaf extract of Carica papaya significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the population of flea beetles by 20.7% and leaf defoliation by 57.7%, other extracts were better than the control (distilled water). All the plant extracts used were not as effective as the synthetic insecticide (Deltamethrine) in reducing both flea beetles population and defoliation of leaf lamina. Among leaf extracts, leaf extract of Carica papaya was found to be most effective, hence its use by farmers is recommended in the protection of okra against infestation by P. uniforma and P. sjostedii as it is biodegradable and environmental friendly. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.) is an annual, herbaceous, 0.91-1.83m tall plant with a hibiscus like flower. It belongs to the family "Malvaceae" and order "Malvales". Okra originated somewhere around Ethiopia and was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians by the 12 th century B.C. Its cultivation spread throughout Middle East and North Africa and many parts of the world [1]. Comparative Assessment of a Pyrethroid Insecticide with Some Plant Materials for the Control of Podagrica Spp. on Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.