Efficacy of Plant Products and Vegetable Oils Against Pulse Beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis in Cowpea

摘要

Out of total pulse production, the post harvest loss in pulses annually due to different insect pests is 8.5 per cent (Anonymous, 1995). Use of plant products and vegetable oils has assumed significance as an important component of insect pest management because of their economic viability and eco-friendly nature. Mixing of vegetable oils and plant products with pulses to protect them from insect damage has been an ancient practice in India, yet very few attempts have been made to evaluate the efficacy of the commonly used vegetable oils as surface protectants for stored pulses (Pereira, 1983; Khaire et al., 1992 and Singh et al., 1994). In the present investigation, vegetable oils and plant products were evaluated for their bio-efficacy against Callosobruchus chinensis (Linn.), a serious pest of cowpea.