The Use of Sugar Baits for the Integrated Management of Soil Arthropod Pests in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Ghana, West Africa

2013

english

Soil arthropods cause kernel and pod damage and can lower yields of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Ghana, West Africa. On-station and on-farm experiments were conducted during 2007 and 2008 at Kwadaso and Hiawoannwu, respectively, using an improved peanut cultivar/line RRR-ICGU 88709 in a soil arthropod pests management trial. The trial included four treatments, i.e. chlorpyrifos (Dursban ) insecticide as a standard, three levels of granulated sugar as baits, and an untreated control. Soil arthropod pests observed in peanut plots during both years from the two locations were white grubs, millipedes, symphilids, termites, earwigs, and red ants while predators included centipedes and black ants. Termites and red ants were the predominant arthropod pests and predatory black ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) exceeded that of centipedes (Myriapoda: Chilopoda) in the two trial locations. The proportion of unfilled pods was high in the two locations during both years. Generally, the population of centipedes was lower than that of black ants. Damage caused by arthropods to pods or kernels in the sugar-baited plots across the two locations were low and differed significantly from the non-baited plots. Chlorpyrifos-treated plots recorded the highest yield followed by the high rate of sugar baits and the lowest yield being the low rate of sugar among the treatment plots. Data generated in this study have shown that sugar-baits maybe effective in suppressing pest populations of peanut and may provide a better refuge for the natural enemies and could be recommended as an option for pest management in peanut production.

Mochiah, M. B.; Owusu-Akyaw, M.; Bolfrey-Arku, G.; Osei, K.; Lamptey, J. N.; Adama, I.; Amoabeng, B. W.; Brandenburg, R. L.; Jordan, D.