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Cowpea is an essential food legume in the tropics and particularly for sub-Saharan African populations. Postharvest grain storage, however, is a major constraint for crop expansion and year-round availability due to the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus F., the main storage pest of cowpeas in West Africa. The use of chemicals for cowpea storage is a common practice which represents, however, a risk for consumers, environment, and could also exacerbate pest control. In Burkina Faso, since the early 2000s, several scientific investigations have focused on the control of C maculatus using botanicals considered as promising and safe alternatives to chemicals. The aim of this review is to take stock of the research conducted and to identify the potential candidates on which future studies in this field will focus. The set of data analyzed show that several plants materials, including powders, crushed plants and essential oils (EO), were active against eggs, larvae, and adults of C maculatus, through dose-dependent mortality responses. However, EO extracted from native aromatic plants have yielded the most promising results, specifically EO from Ocimum canum appeared as the best candidate control agent. Other potentially interested EO tested included Hyptis suaveolens, Hyptis spicigera, and Lippia multiflora. Based on these results, attempts to optimize the use of EO for cowpea storage were conducted in laboratory and field conditions. Side effects of botanicals toward the main biological control agent, the ectoparasitoid Dinarmus basalis have also been highlighted. The results are discussed in a view of practical use of botanicals and EO as safe alternatives for Integrated Pest Management in stored cowpeas in Africa and developing countries.

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