PAPER TITLE :EFFECTS OF NUMBER OF COWPEA SEEDS ON OVIPOSITION, ADULT EMERGENCE AND FECUNDITY OF CALLOSOBRUCHUS MACULATUS (F.)

APPLIED TROPICAL AGRICULTURE | VOLUME 23 NUMBER 1 2018

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : Adebayo, R.A. and Okeyode, R. J.
  • Abstract:

The cowpea seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), a predominantly seed feeding beetle was investigated in the Pest Management Laboratory of the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, the Federal University of Technology Akure to determine whether the number of cowpea seeds provided will affect its oviposition, adult emergence and fecundity. Different number of seeds (5, 10, 15 and 20) was infested with 5 pairs of 24 to 48 hours old C. maculatus in petri dishes and allowed to oviposit on the seeds for 14 days. The setups were laid out in Completely Randomized Design and replicated three times. Data were taken on the number of eggs laid, seed with and without eggs, seeds with and without holes and weight loss caused by C. maculatus. The result from the study indicated no significant differences p> 0.05 in number of eggs laid, seeds with and without eggs, emerged adults, seed without holes, fecundity and weight loss. However, there were significant differences p< 0.05 in the number of seeds with eggs and seeds with holes. From the study, it was concluded that number of seeds provided did not affect oviposition, emergence of adults and fecundity in the C. maculatus. Although, these parameters increased with the increase in the number of seeds provided.   
Key words: adult emergence, cowpea seed, fecundity, oviposition