Assessment of Insecticidal Properties of Products From Seeds of Carica papaya Against Callosobruchus Maculatus (Fabricius)

Abstract

Powder and ash of Carica papaya seed extracted from riped and unriped C. papaya fruits obtained from Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Technology, Akure were evaluated for their insecticidal potential against Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) at application rates of 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0g per 20g of cowpea seeds. The experiment was carried out at the pest management laboratory of the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management under ambient laboratory conditions of 27±2⁰C temperature and 70±5% relative humidity. Each treatment was infested with 5 pairs of C. maculatus. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with each treatment replicated three times. Mortality of cowpea beetles were assessed at 24, 48 and 72hours post treatment. Thereafter data were collected on oviposition, adult emergence, weevil perforation index and seed germination. The results obtained indicated that adult mortality of C. maculatus increased with increasing application rates of powders and ashes of ripe and unripe C. papaya seeds. 100% mortality was observed on cowpea seeds treated with powders and ashes of unripe C. papaya seed at 0.8 and 1.0g application rates at 72hours post treatment. Powders and ashes of unripe C. papaya seed significantly reduced the oviposition potential of adult C. maculatus and caused significant reduction of damaged seeds. Highest number of seeds that germinated was recorded on the seeds treated with powders and ashes of unripe C. papaya seed at 0.8 and 1.0g application rates.