Pesticidal Efficacy of Four Botanical Pesticides on Survival, Oviposition and Progeny Development of Bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus in Stored Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) production is limited by various insect pests that attack and damage the crops both in the field and during storage. Cowpea bruchids, Callosobruchus maculatus are the major insect pests of cowpea which infest the cowpea grains in the field, and then carried into the store where the population builds up rapidly. Chemical insecticide application is one of the management options that has been used for many years to control the insect pests. However, due to the side effects associated with those insecticides, there has been a resurgence need of using botanical pesticides to control insect pests in the field as well as in storage. This review aims to increase an awareness of using selected botanicals (Tephrosia vogelii, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Tithonia diersifolia, Lippia javanica and Vernonia amygdalina) as the cheap, effective and environmental friendly insect pest management strategy against bruchids in stored cowpea. The bioactive compounds from these plants offer great potential of developing botanical pesticides against postharvest insects in stores.