COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF SOME BOTANICALS AND CYPERMETHRIN AGAINST COWPEA INSECT PESTS AT THREE DIFFERENT PERIODS OF SPRAYING IN A GUINEA SAVANNA ZONE OF NIGERIA

A, study was carried out in 2003 and 2004 rainy seasons to study the efficacy of aqueous leaf extracts (ALE) of neem'wild basil, ecalyptus and Cypermethrin 10% EC on the insect pests causing damage to flowers and seeds of cowpea (IAR 48) in Lafta, located in the Guinea Savanna o f Nigeria. The field was laid out in a randomised complete block design and treatments consisted of one dosage rate (20%/4m2) of botanical pesticides and recommended rate of (3.5 litre/ha) of Cypermethrin 10% EC. Pesticides were applied once per day in the morning or evening and twice per day (both morning and evening) to a total of four sprays. Results showed that the use of Cypermethrin performed significantly (P<0.05) better than any of the botanicals in the two seasons in protecting flowers and seeds from insect pest infestation. Application of ALE o f neem was however, significantly better than wild basil or eucalyptus. Spraying o f pesticides twice in a day conferred a significantly higher (P<0.05) protection to flowers and seeds in the two seasons than spraying only in the morning or evening.