Termite Damage and Crop Loss Studies in Nigeria—the Incidence of Termite-Scarified Groundnut Pods and Resulting Kernel Contamination in Field and Market Samples

Abstract

Abstract The incidence of termite-scarified groundnut pods and resulting kernel contamination in field and market samples were studied in northern Nigeria. Scarification was caused by Microtermes lepidus Sjostedt and restricted to the more mature pods. In the field, scarification was more common in the Sudan Savanna vegetation zone. The incidence of scarification was much higher (40.9-87.9% of the pods) in the dead stands where the tap root had been invaded by Microtermes, than in healthy stands (7.9-31.6% of the pods). In the market samples, the number of scarified pods rarely exceeded 5%. 85-91% of the kernels from scarified pods were infected, the dominant fungi being Macrophomina phaseoli (Maubl.) Ashby (37-61%) and Fusarium spp. (8-26%). Less than 5% of kernels were infected by Aspergillus sp. The fungi carried by the termites bore little relation to those contaminating the kernels. 67% of the kernels from undamaged pods taken from dead stands were infected, indicating that - compared with premature ...