Insect pests and integrated pest management techniques in grain legume cultivation

Tolulope A. Agunbiade, Weilin Sun, Brad S. Coates, Fousséni Traore, James A. Ojo, Anne N. Lutomia, Julia Bello-Bravo, Saber Miresmailli, Joseph E. Huesing, Michael Agyekum, Manuele Tamò, Barry Pittendrigh

• Publisher: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781838794002
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Sustainable Agriculture
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Cowpea is a major staple legume food crop grown and consumed in the dry savanna regions of sub-Saharan West Africa. Cowpea provides much-needed income to both farmers and traders; cowpea grain is also a major source of protein for the growing human populations, particularly, women, infants and children in West Africa. This chapter describes the pests that attack cowpea at every stage of its development, including aphids, thrips, pod-sucking bugs and lepidopteran pod borers. The chapter explains current control measures and their limitations, and advocates development of an integrated pest management strategy by exploiting knowledge of pest biology, host plant resistance (including Bt cowpea) and biocontrol, as well as incorporating research utilizing recent advances in 'omics' research technologies. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of disseminating new information to farmers via Scientific Animations Without Borders, which uses cell phones to distribute freely downloadable video media.

Table of contents

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Known pest biology
• 3 Applying molecular biology tools to cowpea insect pests
• 4 Biological control approaches to sustainable IPM
• 5 Adoption of precision-IPM strategy by cowpea farmers
• 6 SAWBO and mobile learning experiences
• 7 Conclusion and future trends
• 8 Where to look for further information
• 9 References