ABSTRACT

Field studies were conducted at the sub-station of the National Horticultural Research Institute, Okigwe Imo State during the early and late seasons of 2006 and 2007 to monitor the insect pests which decimate Mungbean Vigna radiata. L. Wilczek and to evaluate selected conventional and non-conventional products for their management. In 2006, the insect surveillance study consisted of collection of insects from Mungbean plot of 20m x lOm dimension with a sweep net of size 30cm x 75cm nets (30cm diameter and 75cm deep) from the vegetative to the harvesting stage. Insect damages were by visual observations and the use of standard rating scales. The collected, insects were identified in the Entomology Department of the National Horticultural Research Institute Ibadan. In 2007, three experiments were conducted using various conventional and non-conventional products for the control of the key or major or commonest insect pests on the crop during the early and late seasons. The results of the study showed that the occurrence of the insects on the crop was not only weather dependent but also due to different phenological stages of growth and development of the crop. Results from regime application of neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) indicated that weekly and bi-weekly application interval consistently showed higher efficacy than the three weeks and four weeks (monthly) application interval in both early and late season trials. The results, however, showed that all treated plots did not significantly (P 0.05) differ with the control. Result of the synthetic insecticides namely; Decis (Deltamethrine), Karate (Lambdacyhalothrine), Nuvan, Perfection and Furadan (Carbonfuran) indicated that all the insecticides used for insect pest control on mungbean in both seasons were efficacious and promising in terms of low insect population/damage and higher yield. Mineral oil evaluation result for insect pest control in mungbean indicated that the three mineral oils involved in the trials namely, kerosene (Dual purpose kero), Petrol (Premium motor •1. spirit) and Diesel (Automative gaseoline oil) consistently showed higher level of efficacy in reducing the insect population with promising yield in both early and late season trials. There was success in the synthetic insecticide and biopesticidal and mineral oil methods of insect pest control in mungbean hence appreciable reduction of damage by the insects and high yield of the crop were obtained in them.