FABRICATION AND EVALUATION OF A PROBE TRAP FOR MONITORING COWPEA WEEVIL (Callosobruchus maculatus) INFESTING STORED COWPEA
FABRICATION AND EVALUATION OF A PROBE TRAP FOR MONITORING COWPEA WEEVIL (Callosobruchus maculatus) INFESTING STORED COWPEA
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Date
2017-04
Authors
ANUGWOM, Uzoma Donatus
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Abstract
Farmers are faced with a lot of problem in monitoring insect pests of stored cowpea.
The standard probe trap is used to monitor C. maculatus infestations in stored cowpea
but it is not efficient in trapping the insect due to variation in atmospheric conditions
leading to inappropriate management decisions regarding the action threshold. Its
perforation size (3 mm) is specific to C. maculatus which cannot be used for other
larger bruchids like C. subinotatus, infecting cowpea. A research was carried out in the
Entomology Laboratory of Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Kano, Nigeria,
between March and October 2016, to examine the possibility of incorporating light into
a locally fabricated probe trap, with the aim of developing an improved trap for
detecting bean weevil. Six different colour lighted probe traps were evaluated, together
with a control and a standard trap in order to determine the performance of respective
trap in the detection of cowpea weevils. Each treatment was repeated three times, in
three different insect densities: low (3 insects per kilogram of cowpea grain), medium (7
insects per kg) and high (15 insects per kg). Two weights of grains (10 kg and 100 kg)
were used to determine the effect of grain volume on the performance of the fabricated
probe trap. Trap catches was recorded every 24 hours for five days. Data collected was
subjected to ANOVA and means were separated using SNK at 5 % confidence level.
The result indicated that ambient light source was more effective in improving the
performance of the modified probe trap for early detection of C. maculatus infesting
stored cowpea, thresholds for management decisions were also determined and the
fabricated trap was economically profitable; hence, objectives of the study were
achieved. Commercialization of the improved probe trap is therefore recommended.
Description
A DESSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF
POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE AWARD OF A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CROP
PROTECTION.
DEPARTMENT OF CROP PROTECTION,
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA.
Keywords
FABRICATION,, EVALUATION,, PROBE TRAP,, MONITORING,, COWPEA WEEVIL,, INFESTING STORED COWPEA