Potential of Dusts of Eugenia aromatica Baill. Dry Flower Buds and Piper guineense Schum & Thonn Dry Fruits Formulated with Three Organic Flours for Controlling Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).

Abstract

Powders made from dryflower buds of Eugenia aromatica Baill. and dry fruits of Piper guineense Schum and Thonn. were formulated using cassava (Manihot esculenta L.), yam (Dioscorea rotunda L.) or plantain{Musa sapientum L.) flour as carrier to give formulations of 10-100% active material (a.m.). Each formulation was tested at 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0,1.2 and 2% a.m. for protecting cowpea seeds against Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius. The inert carriers were also tested at 2% to determine their activity against C. maculatus. Irrespective of inert carrier, E. aromatica at 0.8~2.0% caused 100% mortality of introduced adults’ of C. maculatus in 48 hr and prevented perforation of protected grain. P. guineense at 1.0-2.0% similarly caused 100% mortality within 48 hr. The organic carriers did not cause mortality of adult C. maculatus in 48 hr, but significantly reduced oviposition and seed perforation compared with the control. Mean percentage of C. maculatus Fl adult emergence was significantly higher in treatments involving use of carrier than the’ control.