Effect of seed size variation and sowing media on the germination performance of Caesalpinia bonduc (l) Roxb

Varying seed size influences the seedling vigour as germination of seeds is affected by sowing media. Towards optimum roduction of C. bonduc, the study therefore investigated seed size variation and sowing media on the germination potential of the species. The treatments consisted of 3 sowing media (river sand, top soil and decomposed sawdust) and seed size small (≤1.5cm), medium (>1.5cm to≤ 2.0cm) and large (> 2.0cm)to form 9 treatments combination, laid out in Completely Randomized Design and replicated 4 times. Germination counts were taken on daily basis till there was no visible germination. Percentage germination, mean daily germination (MDG), peak value (PV) and germination value (GV) was calculated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance. Large seed size sown in forest top soil (T8) had the highest germination percentage and GV of 98.3% and 2.46 respectively while small seed size sown in decomposed sawdust (T3) had the least germination percentage (77.5%). There was no significant difference (P>0.5) in all the germination parameters except germination percentage studied on the seed sizes of C. bonduc. Both germination value and germination percentage varied significantly (P< 0.5) on the sowing media used on seeds of C. bonduc. The study showed that large and medium seed sizes responded better than small seed sizes which could be as a result of large food and energy reserves present in the seed. Keywords: seed size, emergence, sowing media, Caesalpinia bonduc, germinatio

Elemental composition of vegetables cultivated over coal-mining waste

ABSTRACT We assessed elemental composition of the liver in mice subjected to one-time or chronic consumption of the juice of vegetables cultivated in a vegetable garden built over deposits of coal waste. Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce), Beta vulgaris L. (beet), Brassica oleracea L. var. italica (broccoli) and Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala (kale) were collected from the coal-mining area and from a certified organic farm (control). Elemental composition was analyzed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method. Concentrations of Mg, S, and Ca of mice subjected to one-time consumption of broccoli and concentrations of these same elements plus Si of mice receiving kale were higher in the coal-mining area. Concentrations of P, K, and Cu were increase after chronic consumption of lettuce from the coal-mining area, whereas the levels of Si, P, K, Fe, and Zn were higher in the group consuming kale from the coal-mining area. Our data suggests that people consuming vegetables grown over coal wastes may ingest significant amounts of chemical elements that pose a risk to health, since these plants contain both essential and toxic metals in a wide range of concentrations, which can do more harm than good

Nutrient Adequacy of Complementary Foods Fed to Infants 6-24 Months in Urban and Rural Communities in Osun State, Nigeria

Objective: To determine the nutrient adequacy of complementary foods fed to children in Osun State, Nigeria. Method: A cross sectional study was carried out to investigate the nutrient content of complementary foods in Osun State. Stratified random sampling procedure was used to select 299 mothers with children between the ages of 6-24 months in urban and rural communities. Information on complementary feeding practices of mothers was obtained using structured interview schedule and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, means and student t- test. Results: Results from twenty-four (24h) recall revealed that children between the ages of 0-6 months were fed complementary foods at least once. Specifically, in the urban communities 9.5% were fed once, 23.8% twice, 30.3% three times, and 25.6% four times a day. In the rural communities, 3.9% were fed once, 20.6% of the children were fed two times, 29.8% three times, and 28.5% four times a day. Twenty-four (24h) recall of snack consumption revealed that 13.5% and 14.3% of the children do not consume snacks at all, while 7.2% and 10.3% consumed snacks four times in the urban and rural communities, respectively. Mean nutrient consumption of the urban communities was 733.7kcal energy; 9.8g protein; 4.3mg Fe; 99.5mg Ca, and 121.7μg vitamin A. In the rural communities, the figures were 698.7kcal for energy, 7.1g protein, 2.7mg Fe, 68.4mg Ca and 188.3 μg vitamin A which were inadequate to meet their recommended nutrient intakes (RNI). Conclusion: Nutrients in complementary foods were inadequate especially in Fe, Ca, and Zn. It is recommended that mothers should be informed about the nutrient content in foods and the right quantities needed by their children for normal growth and development. Keywords: Nutrient adequacy, complementary foods, snacks consumption, infants, rural/urban communitie