Rotimi J. and Ekperusi O. A.
The effectiveness of essential oils Citrus aurantofolia, Citrus limonium, Citrus sinensis and Citrus paradisi were evaluated as cowpea seed protectant against damage by the cowpea bruchid, Callosobruchus maculates in a laboratory set up at 2.75 and 5.5 ml oil using hydrodistillation technique. The results showed that cowpea seed damage in all the citrus oil treated experiments was significantly low and ranged between 0.50 and 2.50% compared tot the control (23.00%). Weevil perforation index (WIP) ranged from 2.12 to 9.81 and indicate a highly positive protectant ability of the essential oils. The computed percentage protectant ability of the citrus oils showed that the essential oils resulted in 90.19 - 92.0% protectant ability in C. limonium, 92.00 - 93.87% in C. aurantifolia and 97.80% in C. sinensis and C. paradisi. The results indicate that citrus peel essential oils are highly effective as cowpea seed protectant against damage by C. maculates and may be used as safe pesticide for the management of stored cowpeas
