Impact of Sowing Date and Integrated Control of Etiella zinckenlla Treitschke (Lepidoptera) Infected Cowpea Plants

Abstract

in El-Berka village, Abu-Hommus, El-Beheira Governorate, Egypt, during two consecutive summer seasons (2021 & 2022). The first experiment was investigated to study the impact of four varying sowing dates (February 13th, March 5th, March 26th, and April 16th) on cowpea pods infestation with Etiella zincknella Treitschke and how it affected cowpea seed yield. Results demonstrated that earlier
sowing (February 13th) led to lower E. zincknella infestation and higher seed yield. Conversely, later sowing (April 16th) resulted in increased infestation and reduced yield. These findings suggest that early sowing is a promising strategy for managing E. zincknella pests in cowpea production and may reduce the need for chemical interventions. To evaluate the effectiveness of one pesticide (Lannate WP 25%) and two essential oils (Thyme and Camphor), a second experiment was conducted in the 2022 season. compared to the control treatment, the results show that all three treatments were effective in reducing the cowpea pod borer pest infestations compared to the untreated control. The most effective treatment was lannate, which significantly decreased the proportion of infected pods, seeds, and the population of larvae/ pods. Though less so than Lannate, Thymol also showed notable decreases in infested pods, seeds, and larvae numbers. While camphor oil had a minor effect on infested pods and seeds, it had a less significant impact on reducing larval numbers.