Interaction of Callosobruchus maculatus, cowpeas, seed of the shea butter tree, Butyrospermum parkii, and subsistence farm children in Mali

Shea butter produced by subsistence farm women of a Malian village (Sanambele) was evaluated as a protectant for cowpeas following their annual harvest and threshing. Cowpeas, usually destroyed within 2 months postharvest by Callosobruchus maculatus, are needed year-round to provide essential amino acids not available in grain-based diets of Malian farm children. Shea butter applied to the cowpea surface caused oviposition deterrancy, decrease in embryo survival, and inability of hatching C. maculatus to penetrate the cowpea seed envelope. Village interviews in Sanambele indicated 23% of children 0 to 36 months were at risk for kwashiorkor (protein deficiency). Since cowpea harvest in that village is 2 months after shea nut harvest, it is logistical possible for farm women to have extracted shea butter, normally used in cooking cowpeas, in time to be available for cowpea protection during long-term, on-farm storage.