SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF IMPROVED PIGEONPEA PODS THROUGH MANAGEMENT OF RIPTORTUS DENTIPES FAB. (HEMIPTERA: COREIDAE) WITH FORMULATED NEEM SEED OIL AT VARYING RATES AND SPRAYING SCHEDULES IN OWERRI, NIGERIA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Control of population of Riptortus dentipes Fab. on improved pigeonpea pods using formulated neem seed oil (F-NSO) at varying rates and spraying intervals. The study was carried out at the Postgraduate Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Crop Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri Imo State beginning from May 2009, 2010 and July 2010. The July planting season which was the approved planting date in the area from research trials, was also subjected to control strategy with F-NSO to determine the population of R. dentipes under pest control measures. The experiment was laid out in 3 x 5 factorial comprising three rates of neem seed oil, 2 mL (4.2 L ha-1), 4 mL (8.3 L ha-1), 6 mL (12.5 L ha-1) with 0mL (0 L ha-1), and synthetic pyrethroid (cypermethrin) 0.72 mL (1.5 L ha-1) as checks plots and three intervals of application:once a week, once in two weeks, and once in three weeks. Results from field trials showed that application of F-NSO at higher dosage rate of 12.5 L ha-1 and at four regime spraying intervals ofonce a week significantly (p<0.05) reduced the population of R. dentipes on the pods compared with the untreated plots but was not superior to the plots treated with syntethic pyrethroid (SPY).