TY  - JOUR
T1  - Variations of Flower Thrips (<I>Megalurothrips sjostedti</I>) and Pod Borer (<I>Maruca vitrata</I>) Pests and Cowpea Flower Abortion Under Caging and Deltamethrin &reg; Spray Conditions
AU - , A. Ngakou AU - , I.A. Parh AU - , N.N. Ntonifor AU - , D. Nwaga AU - , C.L.N. Nebane 
JO  - Agricultural Journal
VL  - 1
IS  - 4
SP  - 328
EP  - 334
PY  - 2006
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1816-9155
DO  - aj.2006.328.334
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=aj.2006.328.334
KW  - Agroecological zones
KW  -caging
KW  -cowpea
KW  -Deltamethrin ®
KW  -flower abortion
KW  -Maruca vitrata
KW  -Megalurothrips sjostedti
AB  - Experiments were conducted in the field to determine the effect of caging and Deltamethrin &reg; on abortion of cowpea flower and the population of Megalurothrips sjostedti and Maruca vitrata pests. Caging and complete protection of plants with Deltamethrin &reg; contributed to a substantial reduction of adults and larvae of <I>M. sjostedti</I>, as well as larvae of <I>M. vitrata</I> in the Sudano-sahelian and the monomodal Humid-forest rainfall zones. The aborted flowers were greater in the Sudano-sahelian than the monomodal Humid-forest rainfall zone. Contrary to the expectations, flower abortion was greater in caged-Deltamethrin than uncaged-Deltamethrin and uncaged-unsprayed treated plants. The flower abortion attributed to <I>M. sjostedti </I>was low and estimated to 2% in the Sudano-sahelian zone in 2001,  and 5% in the monomodal humid-forest rainfall zone. The caging effect was 2% in the Sudano-sahelian zone in 2001,  and 17%, respectively during the first and the second seasons of 2004 in the monomodal humid-forest rainfall zone. Uncaged-Deltamethrin treated plants produced more pods per plant than caged-Deltamethrin and uncaged-unsprayed plants. This study demonstrates that the flower abortion of cowpea mostly occur naturally; it also suggests that although caging and Deltamethrin &reg; can considerably reduce <I>M. sjostedti</I> and <I>M. vitrata</I> pests in field grown cowpea, it can also contribute to increase flower abortion in caged cowpea, thus a reduction of yield in a given agroecosystem.
ER  -