Authors : A. Ngakou , I.A. Parh , N.N. Ntonifor , D. Nwaga and C.L.N. Nebane
Abstract: Experiments were conducted in the field to determine the effect of caging and Deltamethrin ® on abortion of cowpea flower and the population of Megalurothrips sjostedti and Maruca vitrata pests. Caging and complete protection of plants with Deltamethrin ® contributed to a substantial reduction of adults and larvae of M. sjostedti, as well as larvae of M. vitrata in the Sudano-sahelian and the monomodal Humid-forest rainfall zones. The aborted flowers were greater in the Sudano-sahelian than the monomodal Humid-forest rainfall zone. Contrary to the expectations, flower abortion was greater in caged-Deltamethrin than uncaged-Deltamethrin and uncaged-unsprayed treated plants. The flower abortion attributed to M. sjostedti was low and estimated to 2% in the Sudano-sahelian zone in 2001, and 5% in the monomodal humid-forest rainfall zone. The caging effect was 2% in the Sudano-sahelian zone in 2001, and 17%, respectively during the first and the second seasons of 2004 in the monomodal humid-forest rainfall zone. Uncaged-Deltamethrin treated plants produced more pods per plant than caged-Deltamethrin and uncaged-unsprayed plants. This study demonstrates that the flower abortion of cowpea mostly occur naturally; it also suggests that although caging and Deltamethrin ® can considerably reduce M. sjostedti and M. vitrata pests in field grown cowpea, it can also contribute to increase flower abortion in caged cowpea, thus a reduction of yield in a given agroecosystem.
A. Ngakou , I.A. Parh , N.N. Ntonifor , D. Nwaga and C.L.N. Nebane , 2006. Variations of Flower Thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti) and Pod Borer (Maruca vitrata) Pests and Cowpea Flower Abortion Under Caging and Deltamethrin ® Spray Conditions. Agricultural Journal, 1: 328-334.