Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ndmmz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-03T04:04:01.563Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Tough Pod Wall: A Factor Involved in Cowpea Resistance to Pod Sucking Bugs*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

H. S. Chiang  and
L. E. N. Jackai
H. S. Chiang
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria
L. E. N. Jackai
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria
Get access

Abstract

Six cowpea cultivars, TVu 1890, TVu 1, TVx 3343-03E, IT82E-9, VITA-3 and Ife Brown, with different responses to infestation and damage by pod-sucking bugs (PSBs) were studied for the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of pod that may be involved in this differential response to feeding by PSBs. Tough pod wall, requiring a force of 25 newtons/mm2 to penetrate at pod maturity, is considered to be an important factor contributing to the lesser PSB feeding damage observed in the cultivar TVu 1890. The phenolic content of the pods of the studied cowpea cultivars was not correlated with their tannin content. Furthermore, no correlation could be established between the tannin content in the pod and the level of susceptibility of the cowpea cultivars to infestation and damage by PSBs. While tannins are considered to be important in conferring certain types of anti-herbivory properties to a number of plants and crop varieties, our findings suggest that in the cowpea cultivars studied, phenols in addition to the tough pod wall may be more important in conferring resistance to PSBs.

Résumé

Six cultivars de niébé, TVu 1890, TVu 1, TVx 3343-03E, IT82E-9, VITA-3 et Ife Brown, ayant différentes réponses à l'infestation et aux dégâts des punaises nuisibles (PSBs), ont fait l'objet d'une étude visant à évaluer les caractéristiques biophysiques et biochimiques des gousses probablement à l'origine de cette diversité de réactions aux PSBs. La dureté de la paroi des gousses est considérée comme un important facteur contribuant à la réduction des dégâts observés sur le cultivar TVu 1890, dans la mesure oì la pénétration de cette paroi au stade de maturité des gousses requiert une force de 25 newtons/mm2. Les cultivars étudiés n'ont révélé aucune corrélation entre le phénol et le tanin contenus dans les gousses. Aucune corrélation n'a non plus été établie entre le tanin contenu dans les gousses et le niveau de sensibilité des cultivars de niébé aux dégâts des PSBs. S'il est vrai que les tanins confèrent certains types de propriétés anti-herbivores à plusieurs plantes et de variétés culturales, nos découvertes nous font supposer que dans les cultivars de niébé étudiés, une combinaison des phénols et de la dureté des parois des gousses contribuent davantage à la résistance aux PSBs.

Type
Research Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , June 1988 , pp. 389 - 393
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Aina, J. O. (1975) The distribution of coreids infesting cowpea pod in southwestern Nigeria. Nigerian J. Ent. 1, 119–123.Google Scholar
Bate-Smith, E. C. (1973) Haemanalysis of tannins: the concept of relative astringency. Phytochem. 12, 907–912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Egwuatu, R. I. and Taylor, T. A. (1977) Studies on the biology of Acanthomia tomentosicollis (Stal.) (Hemiptera: Coreidae) in the field and insectary. Bull. Ent. Res. 67, 249–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ennis, T. H. and Chambliss, O. L. (1976) Pod resistant insect penetration in curculio resistant southern peas. Highlights of Agricultural Research 23, 3, Auburn, AL, USA, Auburn University.Google Scholar
Feeny, P. (1970) Seasonal changes in oak leaf tannins and nutrients as a cause of spring feeding by winter moth caterpillars. Ecology 51, 565–581.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grundlach, C. M. and Chambliss, O. L. (1977) Resistance in the southern pea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers to the cowpea curculio, Chalcodermus aeneus Boheman: The role of tannin. Hort. Sci. 12, 234.Google Scholar
Jackai, L. E. N. (1984) Host plant resistance to pod bugs. Entomology report of the Grain Legume Improvement Program, p. 79. In International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Annual Report for 1983, Ibadan, Nigeria.Google Scholar
Jackai, L. E. N. (1985) Host plant resistance to pod sucking bugs. Entomology report of the Grain Legume Improvement Program, pp. 77–78. In International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Annual Report for 1984. Ibadan, Nigeria.Google Scholar
Jackai, L. E. N. and Daoust, R. A. (1986) Insect Pests of Cowpeas. A. Rev. Ent. 31, 95–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackai, L. E. N., Singh, S. R., Raheja, A. K. and Wiedijk, F. (1985) Recent trends in the control of cowpea pests in Africa. In Cowpea Research, Production and Utilization. (Edited by Singh, S. R. and Rachie, K. O.). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., New York.Google Scholar
Matero, M. E. A. (1970) Damage caused by Acanthomia tomentosicollis Stal. and A. horrida Gem. (Hemiptera: Coreidae). East Afr. Agric. For. J. 35, 429–435.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, D. M. and Kogan, M. (1980) Biochemical and morphological bases of resistance. In Breeding Plant Resistance to Insects. (Edited by Maxwell, F. G. and Jennings, P. R.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York.Google Scholar
Owusu-Akyaw, M. (1986) Resistance of different varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) to attack by the cowpea storage weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus F. Ph.D Thesis, Univ. Sci. & Tech., Kumasi, Ghana.Google Scholar
Price, M. L. and Butler, L. G. (1977) Rapid visual estimation and spectrophotometric determination of tannin content of sorghum grain. J. Agric. Food Chem. 25, 1268–1273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, S. R. and Jackai, L. E. N. (1985) Insect pests of cowpeas in Africa: Their life cycle, economic importance and potential for control. In Cowpea Research, Production and Utilization. (Edited by Singh, S. R. and Rachie, K. O.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York.Google Scholar
Singh, S. R. and van Emden, H. F. (1979) Insect pests of grain legumes. A. Rev. Ent. 24, 255–278.Google Scholar