Neem, mustard, and black pepper extracts kill beetles that ruin stored cowpeas
Seed Saving
If you grow and save your own cowpeas, black-eyed peas, or other dried beans, kitchen-cabinet and garden plants like black pepper and mustard may help protect your harvest from weevil damage without synthetic chemicals.
Pulse beetles chew through stored cowpeas and other dried beans. Researchers tested oily extracts from neem seeds, mustard, black pepper, annona seeds, and groundnuts, and all of them killed adult beetles. They ranked each one against neem, which served as the standard, to see which packs the strongest punch.
Key Findings
Five plant ether extracts (neem seed kernel, mustard, black pepper, annona, groundnut) were toxic to adult Callosobruchus maculatus.
Relative toxicity was calculated using neem seed kernel extract as the standard reference product.
Probit analysis was used to estimate LC50 values, the dose that kills half the beetles, for comparing the extracts.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Oils pulled from neem seed kernel, mustard, black pepper, annona and groundnut seeds all killed adult pulse beetles, a major pest of stored cowpeas. Neem was used as the benchmark, so the study offers a plant-based alternative to synthetic pesticides for protecting stored beans.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Estimate Relative Toxicity of Ether Extracts of Various Plant Products for Management of Pulse Beetle, Callosobruchus Maculatus (Fab.)
Experiments were conducted to determine infesting the stored cowpea seeds. In Agriculture cultivation of pulses is an aspect because pulses are the most essential important source of protein. The p...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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