Screening of 25 cowpea genotypes for resistance to Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom in southern Ghana

In sub-Saharan Africa, Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom are the most destructive insect pest of cowpea. It causes approximately 100% reduction in cowpea yield. Synthetic insecticides are widely used in controlling this pest, however, health and environmental hazards are another challenge. This study sought to evaluate 25 cowpea genotypes from Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo and South-Sudan for resistance to this pest under field screening using a 5 by 5 alpha lattice design with 2 checks at University of Ghana farms. The results revealed Laduni 1B as resistant, 20 moderately resistant and 4 susceptible genotypes were also identified in this study. In the determination of correlated and non-correlated variables, ten traits were reported important to the resistance of cowpea genotypes to flower bud thrips. The genotypes with resistance could be used to introgress the resistant trait into other preferred but susceptible cowpea varieties.