POTENTIAL OF LEAF POWDERS OF NEEM (AZADIRACHTAINDICA A. JUSS) AND MORINGA (MORINGAOLEIFERA LAM) IN REDUCING INFESTATION OF CALLOSOBRUCHUS MACULATUS (COLEOPTERA: BRUCHIDAE) ON STORED COWPEA

A laboratory investigation was carried out in the Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin to determine the effectiveness of Moringa oleifera and Azadirachta indica leaf powder in reducing oviposition, adult emergence and eliciting mortality on adult cowpea beetle Callosobruchus maculatus in stored cowpea. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design with three replicates. There were three treatments namely; A. indica leaf powder, M. oleifera leaf powder and the control applied at the following rates 0.5g, 1.0g, 1.5g and 2.0g/20g of cowpea seeds. Twenty (20) grams of treated cowpea seeds were infested with 5 newly emerged adults of C. maculatus. Adult mortality, oviposition rate, larvae emergence, pupae emergence and F1 progeny emergence were used to assess the effectiveness of the treatments. There was a 73.3% and 78.7% reduction in oviposition when cowpea seeds were treated with 2.0g of moringa and 1.0g of neem respectively. Treatments resulted in a 70% and 74% reduction in larvae emergence when seeds (20g) were treated with 2.0 g moringa and 1.5 g neem leaf powders respectively. Pupae emergence was reduced by 70% and 67% when 20g seeds were treated with 2.0g each of moringa and neem leaf powders respectively. F1 progeny emergence was reduced by 76% on 37th day by 2.0 g/20 g seeds of moringa and neem leaf powder. The higher dose of 2.0g/20g seeds was more effective in both botanicals in managing C. maculatus and can be used as an alternative in storage of cowpea seeds.