Insecticidal Evaluation of Some Botanical Leaf Powders On Cowpea Beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) On Stored Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdcourt.

Two Laboratory trials were conducted at the Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru-Zaria to evaluate the efficacy of five plants species. Anogeissus leiocarpus Guill. and Per., Antidesma venosum Tull., Maranthes polyandra (Benth.) Prance. Mitragyna inermis (Willd.) Kuntze. and Vitex madiensis Olive., for their leaf powders at two levels of concentrations (5.0 and 10.0 g/100 g seed) as protectant against Callosobruchus maculatus F. infesting stored bambara groundnut. Actellic dust 2% at 2.0 g/100 g seed (treated check) and untreated control were placed alongside with these plant powders to serve as checks. Treated and untreated experiments were infested with adult C. maculatus under prevailing storage conditions. Anogeissus leiocarpus, Antidesma venosum and Mitragyma inermis leaf powders at 10 g/100 g seed recorded over 45% adult C. maculatus mortality at 24 hours of treatment. All the plant leaf powders considerably reduced oviposition of C. maculatus as compared to untreated control. Vitex madiensis leaf powder at 10 g/100 g seeds of Bambara groundnut maintained low F1 –F3 progeny emergence for the 12 weeks of observation while Antidesma venosum and Maranthes polyandra all at higher concentration levels maintained low F1 and F2 progeny emergence for 8 weeks of observation. The leaf powders of Vitex madiensis, Antidesma venosum and Maranthes polyandra seem promising in inhibiting progeny emergence of C. maculatus for 2 months of treatment. The Bambara groundnut seed qualities were not adversely affected by the leaf powdered treatments of the botanicals. These plants have potential insecticidal properties which can further be researched upon to serve as alternatives of synthetic insecticide.