Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) Management on Stored Chickpea Using Botanicals in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Chickpea is an important legume crop in Amhara region. The harvested grain of the crop could be stored for more than six months to look for better price and/or as insurance for food security. In the store Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) cause considerable damage to the grain. Noug oil and lemon oil at 4 ml/kg, powder form of neem seed and leaves, pepper seed and leaves, hag enea leaves, endod seed, eucalyptus leaves and Persian lilac seed and leaves at 4% w/w were evaluated for their efficacy against C. chinensis. Primiphos-methyl at the rate of 0.5 gm/kg was used as a standard check. Noug oil was the most effective botanical and statistically at par with primiphos-methyl in inducing adult mortality, reducing initial number of eggs laid on grains, number of holed grains, adult progeny emergence and weight loss. Among other treatments, lemon oil, neem seed and pepper leaves were promising. Botanicals afforded the protection of 59.2% to 99.2% over the untreated check. Noug oil and eucalyptus significantly delayed the developmental period of C. chinensis from 4.67 to10.3 days. The germination of grains treated with botanical was significantly higher than grains from the untreated check. Thus, botanicals proved promising and effective for the control of C. chinensis and can be used as a component of IPM.