Comparative Study of Neem and Eucalyptus Leaf Powders for Protecting Stored Cowpea Against Callosobruchus maculatus

The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), is a major pest of stored cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) causing significant quantitative and qualitative losses. Synthetic chemical insecticides are highly effective but raise concerns regarding mammalian toxicity, environmental pollution, and the development of pest resistance. This study evaluated the efficacy of neem leaf powder, eucalyptus leaf powder, and their combination against Callosobruchus maculatus infestation in stored cowpea over a 28-day period, measuring adult mortality and subsequent damage caused by the weevils at four concentration levels (5g, 10g, 15g, and 20g) and a 7-day interval (7, 14, 21, and 28 days after treatment). Analysis of the results revealed that the botanical treatments generally increased weevil mortality and reduced damage compared to the untreated control. At 7 days, the combined Neem + Eucalyptus treatment at 5g achieved the highest mortality (14.33), while Neem at 10g showed the highest overall mortality (14.00) among single treatments. By 28 days, the Neem + Eucalyptus combination consistently showed higher mortality rates (ranging from 0.33 to 2.33) than the single treatments. Conversely, the Neem + Eucalyptus combination was the most effective in reducing damage at 28 days, achieving 0.00 damage at 5g and 15g. Overall, while the individual plant powders, particularly Neem, demonstrated high early mortality, the combination of Neem + Eucalyptus proved superior in minimizing subsequent damage to the stored cowpea, indicating its potential as a highly effective and sustainable integrated pest management strategy against C. maculatus.

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