Effect of Seed Extract of Piper nigrum (Black Pepper) in the Control of Maize Stem Borer (Army Worm) (Busseola fusca) in Maize Plant

Abstract

This experiment was conducted in the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria between September and November in 2020. The experiment investigated the use of seed extract of Piper nigrum (Black pepper) in the control of maize stem borer (Busseola fusca) in the maize plant. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four treatments and four replications, giving a total of 16 treatment units. In this trial various levels of treatments of Piper nigrum were used (0.0, 50, 75, 100) mls for crude extracts. Soil analyses before and after treatment application were determined. The proximate analyses were carried out on Piper nigrum which revealed the nutritional contents in percentages. Phytochemical analyses were carried out which revealed the presence of bioactive constituents. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the various functional groups or organic compounds absorbed at different wavelengths. Data were collected on plant height, stem girth, number of leaves, leaf area, number of insects, number of plants infested, weight of cobs at harvest (kg/ha), weight of biomass after harvest and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 % level of significance. The result of the trials revealed that plots that received (100 and 75) mls were the best in all the parameters tested. Plant heights were significantly (p≤0.05) different over 0.0ml, the control. The number of leaves per plant, stem girth, leaf area, number of insects, number of plants infested, weight of Biomass, were all significant at (p≤0.05). Finally, weight of cobs at harvest was (p≤0.05) over (0.0 and 50) mls, measuring 3231.3kg/ha, the ability of Piper nigrum to perform all these could be likened to the presence of phytochemical constituents and other bioactive compounds, inherent in the botanical plant material.