Evaluation of Plant Materials for the Control of Leafworm (<i>Acraea terpsicore L.</i>) On Jute Mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.) in Lapai Southern Guinea Savannah of Nigeria

Abstract

Jute mallow, (Corchorus olitorius L.) is an important vegetable grown in most part of subsaharan Africa and classified as Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS). But insect pests are serious hindrance to its production. The present research was conducted at the teaching and research farm of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State in the growing season of 2017 - 2018. The research aimed at evaluating the efficacy of three plant materials (alligator pepper (Aframomum melegueta K. Schum,), black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and neem seed (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) for the control of Acraea terpsicore (L.) (Leaf worm) on jute mallow. The plant materials were grounded separately into powder and weighed into 100g per litre of water. A day to spraying, the materials were soaked in water separately for 24hours and thereafter sieved with a muslin cloth and further filtered with Whatman filter paper to remove all fine particles. The extracts were then transferred in to the sprayer for onward spraying of the plant. Before spraying, the number of leafworms were counted, the count was repeated a day after spraying. The spraying was done at 3days interval. The numbers of damaged leaves were also counted at 4, 6 and 8 week after planting (WAP). At the end of the research, neem seed extract caused significantly highest mortality after each spray and the least number of damaged leaves at 4, 6 and 8 WAP, followed by black pepper. But contrarily, alligator pepper, on the other hand, had no significant effect on the leaf worm. The control presents the highest number of leaf worms and highest number of damaged leaves at 4, 6 and 8 WAP. Conclusively, with further research, neem seed extracts can be encouraged to be used in the control of vegetable insect pests as this is cheaper than synthetic pesticides and not toxic to man and his environment.