INFLUENCE OF ASH ON THE MORTALITY OF ADULTS OF BRUCHIDIUS ATROLINEATUS PIC. (COLEOPTERA-BRUCHINAE), IMPORTANT PEST OF COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA WALP.) IN SAHELIAN ZONE

Bruchidius atrolineatus (pic) (Ba) is one of the most dangerous pests seeds of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp). The infestation begins in the fields of crops and continues in stocks where damage can be considerable in the absence of any protective measure. The importance of these damage justifies the development of appropriate, less expensive and easily applicable peasant struggles. A recommended ash test for the traditional cowpea storage was evaluated on the mortality of Bruchidius atrolineatus (PIC) in the laboratory. During this study, several experiments relating to the influence of Ash on adults of B. atrolineatus were carried out. A negative witness has been made for each case. The treatments have been made according to gender and adults. Ash is a substance that seems to be very effective with respect to B. atrolineatus because has significantly reduced its population. Treatment due to the effect of ash has recorded a mortality rate of 85% on the first day. Then treatments with variations due to the increase in the amount of ash, insects and seeds have induced a respective mortality rate of 31.5%, 43.5%, 93.75% and 100% 62.5%, 33.16%, 30%, 24% and 17.04% and 62.5%, 43.75%, 52.5% and 50% on the 1st after treatment. It is apparent from our study that the female seems to be more resistant than males in almost all treatments. This study showed that the ash could constitute an alternative to the use of chemical insecticides in the conservation of cowpea seeds in the Sahelian zone.

Exotic pulse beetles intercepted in imported legume germplasm

Quarantine examination of 13,29,901 imported seed samples of various crops during 1999- 2014 revealed presence of exotic bruchids commonly called seed or pulse beetles in 2,819 samples which were detected by X-ray radiography. Thirteen exotic bruchid species viz., Acanthoscelides desmanthi in Desmanths spp. from Colombia, A. obtectus in Phaseolus vulgaris from Argentina, Colombia Mexico, Peru; Bruchidius atrolineatus in Vigna unguiculata from Nigeria; Bruchus affinis in Vicia faba from Afghanistan; B. dentipes in Vicia spp. from Afghanistan, ICARDA (Syria) and Syria; B. ervi in Lens spp. from Afghanistan, Chile, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, ICARDA (Syria), Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Russian Federation, Syria and Turkey; B. nubilis in V. faba from Ukraine; B. rufimanus in V. faba from Afghanistan, Canada, Spain and Syria; B. signaticornis in L. culinaris from ICARDA (Syria); B. tristis in Lathyrus odoratus from ICARDA (Syria); B. tristiculus in V. narborensis from Portugal; Callosobruchus rhodesianus in Vigna unguiculata from Nigeria and C. subinnotatus in V. subterranea from Ghana were intercepted. Many of the pulse beetles were intercepted repeatedly from the same/ different source(s) year after year. All the infested samples were salvaged using suitable disinfestation treatments. None of the intercepted beetles are yet reported from India, and are therefore, of high quarantine significance.

Resistance in cowpea cultivars to Bruchidius atrolineatus (PIC) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to assess the resistance in cowpea cultivars to Bruchidius atrolineatus (Pic) attack. The experiment was conducted at the Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias of Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Jaboticabal (SP). The following cultivars were used: BR17 Gurgueia, BR3 Tracuateua, BRS Novaera, Sempre Verde, BRS Milênio, and BRS Urubuquara. The non-preference test without choice evaluated the number of viable eggs, unviable and total posed by insects in grains, after 25 days of confinement. In addition, it was observed, in a daily basis, the total dry matter consumed and dry matter consumed per insect; male and female mass; male, female and total egg-adult cycle length; male and female longevity; sex ratio; number of emerged insects and percentage of emerged insects. The non-preference test with free choice evaluated the number of viable, unviable and total eggs and adult attractiveness after 24 hours and seven days of release. Sempre Verde cultivar was the least preferred for oviposition in the test without choice and showed lower number and percentage of emerged insects. BRS Milênio had the lowest total dry mass consumed and dry mass consumed per insect.

Differences in the susceptibility of seeds of selected varieties of cowpea to Bruchidius atrolineatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

The bruchid Bruchidius atrolineatus (Pic) causes significant damage to the stored protein rich seeds of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, in the West African Sahel. Twenty varieties of cowpea were evaluated for susceptibility to attack by B. atrolineatus in the laboratory. The bruchid showed differential response to the seeds in terms of developmental period, percentage adult emergence, seed weight loss due to feeding by one larva, adult weight at emergence and life-time fecundity of females reared from them. Based on these criteria, IT85F-2205 and IT84S-275-9 were the least susceptible varieties. The development of B. atrolineatus was most significantly delayed in these varieties. The beetle larvae consumed less of their seed material and adults reared from them were smallest and least fecund. The varieties IT87S-1393, IT90K-391 and IT84D-460 also had relatively lower susceptibility to the beetle than others. In a no-choice oviposition experiment, B. atrolineatus females laid equally on all varieties. Percentage egg hatch on the different cowpea varieties did not differ significantly. The results are discussed in relation to previous reports on susceptibility of cowpea and other legumes to bruchids.