ANALYTICAL COMPARISON OF AMYLASE ACTIVITIES AND REDUCING SUGARS IN VARIETIES OF SOYBEANS AND COWPEA: IMPLICATION ON INFESTATION BY STORAGE INSECT PESTS
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Abstract
The amount of amylase activities and reducing sugars in seven varieties of soybean (four improved: TGx 1485- 1D, TGx 1440- 1E, TGx 1448-2E and TGx 1740-2F) and three local: Landrace 1, Landrace 2 and Landrace 3 varieties and six cowpea (three moderately resistant; (1T 89KD-288, IT 90K-277-2 and IT 95K-207-15) plus three susceptible: (Danborno, Danmisira and Danila) varieties were compared in the laboratory. Amylase activities began earlier (2 hours) in soybean and 4-5 hours later in cowpea hence soybean would respond faster to distortion (e.g. insect infestations) than cowpea. Moreso mean values of amylase activities for cowpea were scattered and not well defined. Reducing sugars in cowpea could be distorted earlier (Day 1) while that of soybean took up to Day 3 indicating that soybean is more stable than cowpea. These two factors may have contributed to making soybean more resistant to insect attack compared to cowpea.