Ochom, Stephen2026-09-242026-09-242026Ochom, S. (2026). Efficacy of tobacco and lantana camara leaf powder in the management of cowpea weevil. [Unpublished undergraduate research report]. Busitema University.https://bdears.busitema.ac.ug/handle/123456789/9650Undergraduate research reportSynthetic insecticides commonly applied on stored grains like cowpea against storage pests such as the cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus), which though effective, risks of poisoning of consumers and development of pesticide resistance. This necessitates discovering alternative organic pesticides which are environmentally friendly with low cost, ecologically safer and less toxic to humans. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of leaf powders of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and Lantana camara in controlling C. maculatus in stored cowpea. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Treatments included three concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15% w/w) of each botanical powder, a combination of the two botanical powders (5% of tobacco and 5% of Lantana camara making up a combination of 10%) and an untreated control. Adult weevil mortality, percentage seed damage, and percentage weight loss were measured over eight weeks of storage. The data were subjected to analysis of variance followed by means separated using Turkeys’ test at a 5% significance level. The results revealed that all botanical treatments caused significantly higher mortality and reduced seed damage and weight loss compared to the untreated control, with efficacy increasing with increase in concentration. Tobacco leaf powder at 15% concentration achieved the highest weevil mortality (52.29%), and the lowest seed damage (1.14%) and weight loss (5.58 %). Lantana camera powder also demonstrated significant insecticidal activity, with its 15 % concentration causing 41.88% weevil mortality. The combination of both powders showed intermediate efficacy. In conclusion, both tobacco and Lantana camera leaf powders are viable bio-pesticides for managing C maculatus in stored cowpea, with tobacco powder at a 15% as the most recommended treatment. The adoption of these botanicals provides smallholder farmers with an affordable, sustainable strategy to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance food security while supporting environmentally friendly storage practices, then further research should focus exploring on the optimum dosage and mixing ratios of and Lantana leaves.enOther