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Insect Species and Description of Damage Caused on Okra, Abelmoschus Esculentus (L.) Moench
(1978) Ewete, F.K.; University of Ibadan, Ibadan Nigeria
The cultivation of vegetables, especially Okra. Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, in the tropics has largely been at the household level. Their inclusion in the diet cannot be over-emphasized being some of the cheapest sources of essential minerals, e.g. iron, calcium. phosphorus and vitamins or their precursors: carotene, thiamine and ascorbic acid which are necessary for healthy growth and develop ment (Purewal, 1944; Sai, 1965; Purse glove, 1968: Oyenuga and Fetuga, 1975). Okra is also a good source of iodine and may be an import ant item of the diet in areas in which the drinking water lacks iodine and resulting in several people developing goitre. The dry seeds may also serve as a good substitute for cotton seeds in animal feeds since the mature seeds have been shown to contain above 25 percent protein and 20 percent oil (Halverson and Naiman, 1926). However, one of the limiting factors in increasing this yield of fruit and leaf vegetables in the tropics is the range of in-sect pests associated with them and their varying levels of damage.