[5-1015-C] Postharvest/Food Technology and Process Engineering (5)

[5-1015-C-05] Investigation of Cowpea Variety and Storage Methods on Cowpea Beetle Infestation

*VICTORIA ADA ABODENYI¹, YAHAYA MOBMI MUSA², ABDULLAH MUHAMMED BAKO³ (1. Agricultural Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi(Nigeria), 2. Federal polytechnic, Bauchi(Nigeria), 3. 1(Nigeria))

Keywords: cowpea beetle , polyethylene , Hessian bags , phostoxin , Aluminum bins

Investigation of effect of variety and storage methods on cowpea beetle (callosobruchus maculatus) infestation was carried out with the main aim of providing suitable, safe and affordable methods of storing various varieties of cowpea devoid of infestation. Three varieties of cowpea which are White, Brown and Black varieties were used. Various storage methods which include Plastics, Polyethylene, Hessian bags and Aluminum Bins of 10 kg capacity each were used in storing the cowpea. Twenty (20) cowpea beetle were introduced into the stored cowpea. Storage chemicals (Protoxin and Atelic dust) were put into the various stored cowpea at the same time of introducing the chemicals. The period of storage was four months. Completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatment and three replications were used for the experiment. Data collected include number of dead beetles, number of live beetle and number and percentage of damaged seed. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The result showed that Phostoxin and Atelic dust are toxic to the beetle in all the storage methods used leading to high mortality of the beetle though with less significant difference in the Hessian bag storage method. The result also showed that there is a strong significant difference among the treatment on White and Black varieties and no significant difference among the treatment on the Brown variety in terms of cowpea beetle damage. It was also found that Plastics and Polyethylene method of storage impaired respiration of the beetle leading to high mortality than in the Aluminum bin and the Hessian bag storage methods. Plastics and Polyethylene are therefore recommended for cheaper and environmentally safer for storage of cowpea. Also, the percentage of damage in the Black and White varieties were negligible and the period of storage with less infestation was longer than in the Brown variety.

Key words: cowpea beetle, polyethylene, Hessian bags, phostoxin, Aluminum bins.