Management of Arthropod Pests of Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) with Selected Plant Extracts and Cypermthrin at Umudike, Abia State
Abstract
Field experiment was carried out at the Research farm of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, during the cropping seasons (July-October, 2019) to determine the efficacy of leaf extracts of Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter leaf), Carica papaya (Paw-paw) and Gmelina arborea (Gmelina) and the synthetic insecticide (Cypermethrin) in the control of arthropod pests of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) and to assess the yield and yield components of the crop. The design was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five treatments in three replicates. Data were collected at 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after planting (WAP) on the arthropod population, yield and yield components. The results indicated that arthropods belonging to two classes, four separate families, genera and species: arachnida (Tetrnychus urticae) and insecta (Spodoptera litura, Oedaleus nigeriansis, and Empoasca kerri) were identified with the aid of taxonomic keys and pictures. There was significant (P≤0.05) reduction in the population of arthropods in plots treated with plant extracts and Cypermethrin. At 10 WAP, the populations of the arthropods pests were significantly (P≤0.05) lower in V. amygdalina treated plots (2.33, 1.67, 1.33, and 4.00) compared with the untreated control plots (8.33, 5.00, 4.67, and 3.67). Treated plots also recorded significantly (P≤0.05) higher pod weights compared with control, except in C. papaya treated plot.
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