THE EFFICACY OF HARVEST TIME MODIFICATION AND INTERCROPPING AS METHODS OF REDUCING THE FIELD INFESTATION OF COWPEAS BY STORAGE BRUCHIDS IN KENYA

A study was carried out in Eastern Province, Kenya to evaluate whether the harvesting of cowpeas at different times and intercropping with m aize were effective in reducing field infestation by storage bruchids. Cowpea seed harvested very late (4 weeks after the recommended harves t time) was infested by storage bruchids to a significantly greater ex tent than cowpeas harvested early or at the recommended harvest time, The intercropping experiments showed that bruchid infestation was sign ificantly reduced in the intercropped cowpeas. These results are discu ssed in view of the current cowpea farming systems in Kenya. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.