Growth and yield responses of Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst ex. A Rich) Harms (African yam bean) to potassium application

Responses of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) to supplementary application of potassium (K) on soil were examined. Effects of the varying levels of potassium on vegetative growth, flowering, pod maturation, yield and yield components were also evaluated. There seems to be no significant mean effect (P > 0.05) upon K application on the above ground parameters of African yam bean. Similarly, soil enrichment with K had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on below ground parameters of the crop. Mineral elemental applications had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on days to 50% flowering but their effect on the number of flowers per plant for example 192.75 ± 9.87 flowers per plant in 550 kg K/Ha treatment as against 145.13 ± 18.02 flowers per plant in the control treatment were significantly different. However, grain yield per hectare increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of K application when compared to controls

Impact of substrate amendment on the polyaromatic hydrocarbon contents of a five month old waste engine oil polluted soil

The present study investigated the impact of substrate amendment on the bioremediation of waste engine oil-polluted soil. Top soil was collected randomly from a 50 × 50 m marked plot on a farmland, sun-dried and weighed. Ten kilogram’s of soil each was placed into perforated 25 L buckets. Waste engine oil (WEO) was prepared at 5 different levels of pollution: 0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0% w/w, and poured into the measured soil, and thoroughly mixed. The entire set up was left under an open shade for 5 months without mechanically disturbing the soil, after which the polluted soil was amended with sawdust and left for a further 9 months. Significant reductions in polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content of soils over the experimental period were recorded. Total (100%) remediation of some PAH compounds (benzo[a]anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, chrysene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, fluoranthene, fluorene, and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene) was recorded. Total PAH ranged from 1.10 to 6.35 mg/L in the substrate-amended treatment compared to a range of 25.45 to 456.99 mg/L in the unamended soil. Toxicity equivalencies (TEQ) in the unamended soils were generally higher than benchmark values, implying that the cleanup levels were not met. In the amended treatments, however, TEQs were presented for only benzo[a]pyrene (0.7284) in the control and indeno[123-c]pyrene (0.0272) in 2.5% w/w oil in soil treatment. TEQ’s of benzo[a]pyrene in the amended 5% w/w oil in soil treatment was 3.1252 mg/L, also higher than the benchmark TEQ of 1.0 mg/L.Key words: biooremediation, substrate amendment, polyaromatic hydrocarbon

Leaf epidermal changes in three common crop plants found in a gas-flared community in Oben Village, Edo State Nigeria

The study investigated the impact of gas flaring on soil and air quality, as well as quantitative and qualitative anatomical characters of three selected plants Musa paradisiaca, Carica papaya and Talinum triangulare in and around Oben Flow Station. Most of these test crop plants located around the gas flare site showed signs of chlorosis, wilting and stunted growth. The interrelationship between the morphological characters of polluted and non-polluted plants was compared. The epidermal cell shape identified on adaxial and abaxial side of all the study plants varied from polygonal, elongated to wavy/sinous cell shape. Anticlinal wall varied from curved, undulated to straight in all test plants. Stomata number was more on the abaxial surface than adaxial surface in all the plants. In this study hypo-stomatic and amphi-stomatic were identified, among the species where anomocytic stomata is found in abaxial layers of all the three species Hemiparacytic in adaxial of T. triangulare and Anomocytic with cell inclusion distributed all around the cell layers of the Plants. The leaves of non-polluted plants grew normally while the polluted plants suffered anatomical aberration; Cell disruption in leaves was eminent.Keywords: Flaring, pollution, plant anatomy, Musa paradisiaca, Carica papaya and Talinum triangular

Influence of different anionic charges on lead compounds in the remediation of lead by Eleusine indica (Gaertn)

The study was carried out to investigate the remediative capacity of Eleusine indica in lead-polluted soil. Soil samples were collected near student hostel (hall 5) in the University of Benin. The soil samples were sun dried to constant weight and was pulverized with wooden roller and sieved with a hand sieve of 2 mm mesh size. The sieved soil was spiked with 0.625 g lead nitrate (PbNO3), lead sulphate (PbSO4), lead carbonate (PbCO3), lead acetetrahydrate (PbC2H6) and lead chloride (PbCl2) separately in three replicate using aqueous standard solutions. Tillers of Eleusine Indica were placed in the metal – polluted soil immediately and the experiment was allowed to stay for 15 weeks. The result showed that the uptake efficiency for Eleusine indica in both shoots and roots for lead nitrate was 0.016% and 0.8%, lead sulphate 0.016 % and 0.352 %, lead carbonate 0.064% and 0.496 %, lead acetetrahydrate 0.032 % and 0.688 %, and lead chloride 0.08 % and 0.72 % respectively, indicating that the plant might have sequestered the metal in the soil rather than accumulating it in the leaves. This was evident in the presentation of the metal sequestration factor of over 70 % irrespective of the nature of the metal. Microbial count of soil before and after contamination with lead nitrate was 1.9×104 and 0.4×104 cfu/g indicating a reduction. The study therefore revealed that Eleusine indica is ahigh efficient plant in sequestering lead in polluted soil

Nitrogen Distribution Pattern of African Yam Bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) exposed to Cadmium stress

In Nigeria, S. stenocarpa is an under-utilized leguminous crop grown in Edo State mainly for its tuberous root and less for the seeds. The purpose of this study was to determine the nitrogen assimilation and distribution pattern of S. stenocarpa exposed to cadmium stress by partitioning the plant accessions into root and leaf, and N-nitrate and N-ammonia analysis was carried out during the seedling and flowering stage. The results showed that cadmium stress increased percentage foliar total nitrogen in TSs-91 in the Cd-5ESV from 2.03% to 2.03% and 1.93% to 5.73% 6 and 18 weeks after sowing with increased cadmium concentration. However, there was a reduction in leaves Nitrate-N with increase in cadmium concentration. TSs-93 in Cd-5ESV had a Nitrate-N of 703.84 ppm as compared to 968.14 ppm in control while the root was significantly reduced from 771.71 to 516.36 ppm. Irrespective of leaves, roots and metal concentration, TSs-91 sow in control soils assimilated 6.29% nitrogen nitrate as compared to 0.16% in nitrogen ammonia. It was observed that the plants assimilated nitrogen more in the nitrate form than in the ammonia form and are stored in the leaves as compared to the roots except TSs-95 which stored more N-nitrate in the roots.Keywords: legumes, nitrogen, ammonia, pollution, Nigeria, heavy metal, assimilatio

Growth and yield responses of Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst ex A. Rich) Harms to phosphate enrichment of soil

The effects of varying levels (0, 110, 220, 330, 440, and 550 kg P/ha) of phosphate application on some growth and yield parameters of African yam bean were studied. Plant dry weight under 550 kg P/ha treated soils with values ranging from 13.79 to 16.32 g per plant significantly

The Effects of Spent Engine Oil on Soil Properties and Growth of Maize (Zea mays L.)

The effect of spent engine oil (SEO) on soil properties and growth of maize (Zea mays L.) was investigated. Five treatments (0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 l/kg) of the spent oil were applied to soil in perforated poly bags with maize stands at four weeks after sowing. Soil analysis showed that SEO had no effect on both the pH and texture of the soil. Organic C, N and Mg in the contaminated soils increased compared to the control. Therewas decrease in concentration of P due to soil contamination. Heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb) concentrations of soil increased with increasing concentration of oil. Plant height, root number and root length of maize plants grown in the contaminated soils were adversely affected. The grain yield of the plants in the contaminated soils was significantly reduce

Eco-taxonomic distribution of plant species around motor mechanic workshops in Asaba and Benin City, Nigeria: Identification of oil tolerant plant species

A survey of plant species and their families present in auto mechanic workshops in Benin City and Asaba was carried out. The frequency of occurrence of plants in the sites visited was used to determineprevalence. Peperomia pellucida occurred most in all the sites visited with a 55% frequency. The high rate of occurrence of a particular plant species in the frequency table, suggests that such plants are tolerant and may be introduced as a possible phytoremediating agent

Remediative Capacity of Crude Oil-polluted Soil After Exposure to Poultry Manure and Phosphate Minerals

This study investigated the impact of two soil amendments (poultry manure and phosphate rock minerals) on the intrinsic remediation capacity of a crude oil-contaminated soil. Well drained top soil (0-10 cm) was polluted with crude oil at the rate of 0.02mL/g of soil and amended with phosphate rock (PR) and poultry manure in three batches at 20 g, 30 g, 40 g and 50 g per 500 g of soil respectively in plastic bowls. Soil samples were collected from plastic bowls for physicochemical, microbiological, biodegradability and total hydrocarbon contents analyses. Results revealed improvement in physicochemical parameters in pH, total nitrogen and phosphorus of 7.00-7.50, 0.12-0.22 %, and 13.20- 65.42 mg/100 g after remediation against 4.30, 0.02 % and 6.05 mg/100 g recorded in day zero respectively. Bacillus subtilis (2.01), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.94), Mucor mucedo (2.47) and Penicillium notatum (2.43) had high biodegradation potential (NTU). The remediation efficiency of total hydrocarbon content after remediation was enhanced by two factors; increased concentrations of amendments of 50 g of poultry manure (4.62 mg/100 g; 66.45 %) and phosphate rock (0.33 mg/100 g; 97.60 %); And by application of combined amendments of both poultry manure and phosphate rock (0.19 mg/100 g; 98.62 %) compared to control (8.46mg/100 g; 38.56 %). Poultry manure and phosphate rock amendments enhance bioremediation efficiency in clean-up of crude oil polluted site and obviously a contamination free environment is a healthy and safe environment for all.Keywords: Bioremediation, Poultry manure, Phosphate mineral, Hydrocarbon conten

Lipid ratios in adriamycin-induced pre-eclamptic Wistar rats exposed to methanolic plant extracts

The study accessed the lipid ratios in preeclamptic Wistar rats exposed to methanolic leaf extracts of Jatropha cacus, Alchonnea cordifolia, and Secamone afzelii. Plant samples (leaves) were washed severally with distilled water, air-dried, and crushed to powder and were filtered, then soaked in 200ml of methanol for 12 hours. The LD50 was determined to ascertain the safety of the plant extracts for use. Female Wistar rats, aged 3 days apart, used in the study, were acclimatized for one week. Peeclampsia was induced used the Adriamycin Model. Results showed that there was elevation of blood pressure (bp) due to preeclampsia. At 3rd trimester, systolic bp (177 mmHg) was higher than at postpartum (160 mmHg). The administration of plant extracts caused a significant reduction in systolic (127 – 150 mmHg) and diastolic (86 – 103 mmHg) bp during the 3rd trimester.  Proteinuria was reduced to trace levels when Alchonnea cordifolia was used. Total cholesterol levels were higher in the third trimester (71.6 mg/dl) and postpartum (74.3 mg/dl), respectively. Preeclampsia was linked to similar increases in triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol; with a reduction in high density lipoprotein cholesterol. The treatment with the various plant extracts lowered the incidence of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular events during preeclampsia. Although the extracts had a negative effect on systolic blood pressure and proteinuria during the third trimester, indicating that they were beneficial in reducing preeclampsia outcomes, there was no effect on blood pressure or proteinuria during the postpartum period