01 Juli 2004 Pigeon pea plants are shaken gently so that the pod borer larvae fall off. As the larvae fall, they are collected on a sheet that is pulled along the ground between the rows of plants. A few hens follow and eat the protein-rich larvae.
The Legume pod borer,Maruca vitrata, causes significant damage to cowpeas in West Africa. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is considered the most important food grain legume in the dry savannas of tropical Africa, where it is grown on more than 12.8 million hectares of land. The pod borer is a serious...