In view of the recently increased interest in developing botanical pesticides as an alternative to synthetic pesticides, this investigation was carried out to examine the insecticidal potentials of the Zanthoxylum Zanthoxyloides (Lam.) Waterm. (Rutaceae) Root Bark Powder against Seed Beetle, Callosobruchus 0 maculatus (F.). The experiment was carried out at ambient temperature of 28±3 C and relative humidity of 68±3% in the laboratory. Population suppression activities of Z. zanthoxyloides Root Bark Powder against Seed Beetle was recorded at 5, 7 and 10 g/150 g cowpea grains laid out in completely randomized design replicated four times including the untreated control. Plant products applied at rates greater than 20% of the grain weight would not be economically viable in suppressing the population of insect pests. The root bark powder was applied to assess contact adult mortality, adult emergence, percentage weight loss and percentage grains damaged. Application rates of Z. zanthoxyloides were found to possess insecticidal activity against adult seed beetle. Topical application of the root bark powder caused significant (P<0.05) increase in adult mortality, reduced adult emergence, reduced weight loss of the grains and offered protection of cowpea grains against damage in small scale storage. Highest rate of treatment significantly increased adult mortality of C. maculatus compared to lower rates at 2 DAT. From the results, it could be concluded that the adults of C. maculatus were susceptible to Z. zanthoxyloides root bark powder. On the whole application of the plant material was better than no treatment at all. Such findings would be helpful in promoting research aimed at the development of new agents for C. maculatus control. The plant powder could also, be incorporated in Integrated Pest Management approach against C. maculatus in storage.

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This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the population dynamics of species of flea beetle on Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench) production in FCT Abuja. The experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Abuja, Abuja. The treatments comprised of four different plant spacing of 50cm x 30cm, 50cm x 35cm, 50cm x 40cm and 50cm x 45cm. The two species of flea beetle encountered in the study (Monolepta goldingi and M. nigeriae) were recorded from 3 Weeks after Planting (WAP). The population of M. goldingi recorded was higher than M. nigeriae in the entire plot and throughout the duration of the experiment although the population of both remained high throughout the vegetative stage than the reproductive phase of growth of okra. Also, it was observed that the closely spaced plants had more pest infestation than wider spaced plants. The difference in the plant spacing has significance on the insect count and its population has significant reduction (P < 0.05) in fruit production, branching and Days to Flowering. The best fruit yield was obtained on the plot with plant spacing's of 50cm x 40cm, which yielded 11.84 fruits.

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Aqueous leaf extracts of two naturally growing plants inNigeria viz: Vernonia amygdalina and Ocimum gratissimum were admixed with maize grains infested with maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motsch. in the laboratory at 30±3 0 C and 75±2% relative humidity. The plant extracts showed efficiency against the test insect with respect to adult mortality, larval and progeny emergence and percentage grain damage. Adult mortality was highest (88.9%) in maize grains treated with 3% (v/w) of the leaf extracts 3 days post treatment. It was observed that leaf extracts of V. amygdalina and O. gratissimum applied at 3% per 30 g maize grains caused significantly higher (P<0.05) adult mortality than the 1% rate of treatment during storage. There was significant difference in the rates of treatment of V. amygdalina causing grain damage compared to the control. The results suggest the ability of using these plant extracts for maize protection against maize weevils with V. amygdalina showing greater potential.