Showing papers by "Abdou Moumouni University published in 1981"
06 Aug 1981
TL;DR: In the Republic of Niger, a country in the Sahel which has suffered from a severe food shortage over the last few years, cowpea -Vigna unguiculata L. Walp -, of which an estimated 300, 000 tons are grown annually, might be important, granting its high nutritional value, in helping the local popu-lations struggle towards self sufficiency in food resources as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In the Republic of Niger, a country in the Sahel which has suffered from a severe food shortage over the last few years, cowpea — Vigna unguiculata L. Walp -, of which an estimated 300 000 tons are grown annually, might be important, granting its high nutritional value, in helping the local populations struggle towards self sufficiency in food resources (Smartt, 1976). However, this objective will stay beyond reach unless the very severe losses caused in the stores by two species of Bruchidae, Bruchidius atrolineatus Pic and Callosobruchus maculatus (F) are reduced. The larvae develop within the beans, feeding on the reserves in the cotyledons so that they are inedible. Those two species are associated, all over the southern part of the Republic of Niger. According to Caswell (1969) and Booker (1967) Bruchidius atrolineatus predominates in the fields and cannot breed in stores.
23 citations