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Breeding for Resistance Against Some of the Major Insects of Cowpea and Pigeon Pea

  • Section IV Plant Breeding for Insect Resistance
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International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) are the major grain legumes grown in the semi-arid areas of Kenya. Heavy losses in grain yield occur due to their vulnerability to a large number of insect pests in the field as well as damage by weevil during storage. Aphids, thrips, pod-borers and pod-sucking bugs are common insect pests to both pigeon pea and cowpea. Pod fly mostly attacks pigeon pea, and apion beetle is a serious pest of cowpea. Use of chemical control in the semi-arid areas is expensive and beyond the reach of the small-scale farmers. Work on development of less susceptible or tolerant crop varieties has been initiated at the National Dryland Farming Research Station (NDFRS) at Katumani. Results of preliminary screening against major insect pests are reported in this paper.

The sources of resistance against aphids and thrips in cowpea, were received from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (UTA), Nigeria, and information on their reaction to these insects under field conditions has been discussed. In pigeon pea, resistance against pod-sucking bug, which appear to be of the antibiosis type, has been identified in the early maturing group of the local germplasm. Implications of breeding for insect resistance and pest management in the two crops are discussed.

Résumé

Le pois cajan (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) et le niébé (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) sont les principales légumineuses à grains cultivées dans les régions semi-arides du Kenya. Elles subissent de lourdes pertes en grains en raison de leur vulnérabilité aux attaques d’un grand nombre d’insectes, aussi bien en plein champs que durant le stockage. Parmi les insectes communs au niébé et au pois cajan il faut signaler des aphides, des thrips, des foreurs et des punaises des gousses. La mouche de gousses attaque principalement le pois cajan, et l’apion est un ennemi sérieux du niébé. De par son coût élevé, n’est pas à la portée du petit paysan.

Des travaux sur le développement de variétés moins susceptibles ou tolérantes aux principaux insectes ont été commencés au National Dryland Farming Research Station (NDFRS) à Katumani. Le présent article porte sur les résultats obtenus au cours des essais préliminaires.

Le matériel ayant servi aux études de résistance contre les aphides et les thrips du niébé a été obtenu de l’IITA au Nigéria; le comportement de ce matériel vis-à-vis de ces insectes est discuté. Chez le pois cajan, la résistance à la punaise des gousses semble être du type antibiose et elle a été identifiée dans le groupe précoce des variétés locales. Les implications de la sélection de ces cultures pour la résistance et l’aménagement des ravageurs sont discutées.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Dryland Farming Research Station, Katumani, P.O. Box 340, Machakos, Kenya

    E. C. K. Ngugi, A. Shakoor & P. G. A. Omanga

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  1. E. C. K. Ngugi
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  2. A. Shakoor
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  3. P. G. A. Omanga
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Ngugi, E.C.K., Shakoor, A. & Omanga, P.G.A. Breeding for Resistance Against Some of the Major Insects of Cowpea and Pigeon Pea. Int J Trop Insect Sci 6, 365–367 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400004641

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400004641

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