3 research outputs found
Effects of spent engine oil contamination on soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) in an Ultisol
An experiment was conducted in the University of Nigeria Nsukka Teaching and Research Farm to determine the effect of spent auto-engine oil on soil and soybean in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Treatments were four levels (0, 1, 2 and 3 %) of spent auto-engine oil (SPO). Top soil samples were collected at 0, 12, 24 and 36 months and analyzed. Results indicated that infiltration rates in plots under 3 % SPO was reduced from 1.40 cm h-1 in control plots to the lowest value of 0.07 cm h-1 compared to 0.27 cm h-1 in 1 % treatment in the first 12 months. Plots contaminated with 3 % SPO gave the lowest Ks values of 6.29, 7.68 and 9.43 cm h-1 in the 12th, 24th and 36th months respectively. Data on plant samples showed that 2 % and 3 % SPO contaminations reduced soybean germination from 99 % (control) to 86 and 68 % respectively in the first cropping season whereas 1 % SPO was observed to significantly increase leaf area, dry matter content and grain yield from control values of 52.6 cm2, 3.01 t ha-1 and 0.72 t ha-1 to 54.5 cm2, 4.20 t ha-1 and 0.97 t ha-1 respectively.Keywords: Contamination, soybean, soil physical properties, spent engine oil, Ultiso
Effects of neem seed cake and NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)
Soils of the southern Guinea
savannah zone of Nigeria are low in organic
matter content, inherently infertile due to
intensive weathering and leaching caused by
high temperature and rainfall. A field
experiment was conducted at the Teaching
and Research Farm of the University of
Ilorin, during the 2013 and 2014 cropping
seasons, to determine the effect of neem
seed cake and NPK fertilizer on the
performance of sesame crop (Ex Sudan cv).
Treatments consisted of three levels of NPK
fertilizer 20:10:10, applied at 0, 100 and
200 kg ha-1 and neem seed cake (NSC),
applied at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 t ha-1. The
experiment was laid out in a 3 x 5 factorial
arrangement replicated thrice. Data were
collected on soil parameters (some physical
and chemical properties), plant growth
parameters (plant height, number of leaves
and leaf area) and yield components
(number of capsules per plant, weight of
seeds per plant and weight of seeds per
hectare). The result of the study indicated
that using the highest level of application of
NPK fertilizer, neem seed cake and their
combinations significantly (p<0.05)
increased the growth of sesame plants, in the
2 years of study. However, the 100 kg ha-1 of
NPK and 3 tha-1 and their combinations
gave the highest yield and yield components
of sesame during the period of study. The
result of the study revealed that using high
levels of NPK, neem seed cake and their
combinations favoured vegetative growth at
the expense of seed formation. Farmers are
therefore encouraged to use organic and
inorganic fertilizer moderately to prevent
excessive vegetative growth of sesame