Effect of insect pests on pod and seed yields of bambara groundnut, Vigna subterranea L. Verde in Nigeria

Field experiments were carried out at Samaru, Nigeria in the 1993 and 1994 cropping seasons to investigate the effect of insect pests on the yield of bambara groundnut. There was significant reduction in pod and seed yields of bambara groundnut in both years due to insect pests. The application of a mixture of Karate e.c. at 25 g a.i./ha and dimethoate e.c. at 400 g a.i./ha, respectively, at fortnightly intervals from crop flowering significantly increased pod and seed yields of bambara groundnut, preventing pod losses of 67% and 38% and seed losses of 71% and 43% in 1993 and 1994, respectively.