Growth and yield response of sweetpotato varieties to date of vine cutting in the humid tropics of Umudike, Southeast Nigeria

Two field trials were conducted in 2014 and 2015 at National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Nigeria to assess growth performance and yield responses of two orange-fleshed sweetpotato varieties (Umuspo 1, Umuspo 3) and one white-fleshed land-race (Ex-Igbariam), variety to date of initial cutting of vine (0, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after planting). The trial treatment combinations were laid out as a 3 x 4 factorial fitted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that vine cuttings, irrespective of date of initial cutting of vine, produced significantly higher number of branches/plant, leaf area index and vine multiplication ratio. Highest significant (P<0.05) reduction in weed growth and highest storage root weight per plant and root yield were obtained under no cutting of vine treatment in both years compared to the other varieties. Umuspo 1 had more branches, higher leaf area index, shoot biomass, multiplication ratio, number of storage roots and root yield as well as suppressed weeds more relative to the other varieties. However, Umuspo 3 produced the highest amount of carotene content in its storage root flesh while ExIgbariam had the lowest carotene content.Keywords: Orange-fleshed, root yield, shoot multiplication ratio, and variet

Effect of staking heights and fertilizer level on the yield of trifoliate yam (Dioscorea dumentorum) in Umudike Southeastern Nigeria

Field experiments were conducted at Umudike a rainforest agro ecological zone of South-Eastern Nigeria, during the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons to study the effect of varying staking height and fertilizer level on the yield of trifoliate yam. In each year, the experiment was laid out as a 5 x 4 factorial in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The treatments comprised five levels of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer ( 0, 150, 300, 450 and 600kg/ha) and four staking heights (0, 1, 2 and 3m). N:P:K 15:15:15 fertilizer up to 300kg/ha significantly (P<0.05) increased the tuber yield while staking height of 2m increased the tuber mean yield. Trifoliate yam yield was increased with increasing N:P:K 15:15:15 fertilizer level up to 300kg/ha while staking increased up to 2m and is recommended.Keywords: Staking height, fertilizer, trifoliate yam and tuber yiel

ORGANIC/INORGANIC LEAF AMARANTH PRODUCTION: THE CASE OF POULTRY MANURE, FISH EFFLUENT AND NPK FERTILISER

The work evaluated the responses of two Amaranthus species to poultry manure, fish effluent, NPK fertiliser and control in randomised complete block design. A. hybridus was taller, thicker and had more leaves per plant than A. viridis. For each Amaranthus variety, poultry manure produced highest number of leaves and tallest plants with thickest stem followed by fish effluent and NPK fertiliser. A. hybridus had higher leaf and marketable yields/ha than A. viridis. Leaf and marketable yields/ha were highest with poultry manure followed by fish effluent and NPK fertiliser. Leaf yield/ha increased by 105, 34 and 34% for poultry manure, fish effluent and NPK fertiliser, respectively compared with the control in A. hybridus and by 284, 132 and 146% in A. viridis. Similarly, marketable yield/ha increased by 116, 45 and 45% for poultry manure, fish effluent and NPK, respectively in A. hybridus and by 176, 16 and 43% in A. viridis over the control

EGGPLANT (Solanum sp) PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIC AND INORGANIC SYSTEMS IN SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

The problem of rural-urban migration in Nigeria has resulted in very dense urban populations. The location of poultry and aquaculture enterprises in urban and peri-urban areas of the country has exacerbated the problem of pollution. However, these wastes can be a valuable resource for use in agriculture, thereby offering a solution to pollution arising from intensive peri-urban aquaculture, thereby offering a solution to pollution arising from intensive peri-urban aquaculture and poultry enterprises. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of fibre glass fish tank effluent,poultry manure, NPK and control on two eggplant varieties and weeds. The response of eggplant fruit yield to poultry manure was significant and greater than the response to fish effluent, which also gave higher yield than NPK fertilizer or control. The fruit yield obtained from poultry manure was higher than the yield from fish effluent, NPK and control by 61%, 177% and 148%, respectively. Fish effluent gave fruit yield that was higher than that from NPK by 72% and control by 55%. Kaduna variety produced yield that was superior by 71% and had lower weed density compared to Ngwa loca

БИОДЕГРАДАЦИЯ ЭКОТОКСИКАНТОВ ТБО И ИХ ВЛИЯНИЕ НА СТРАТЕГИЮ ЕСТЕСТВЕННОЙ РЕКУЛЬТИВАЦИИ

Leachate generated from the degradation of solid wastes remains an environmental challenge. Proposing efficient and effective method of its reduction parameters depends on the number of factors such asthe presence of decomposers, quantity and quality of water percolation through the waste, biochemical processes in waste cells and degree of wastes compaction. More so, treatment processes reported has not gone beyond limitation to biological, physical and chemical techniques. This has been the conventional methods were sanitary landfills and leachates are channelled to a well. This paper, therefore, reviews another means whereby possible biodegradation of natural remediation maybe going on unchecked especially in a situation without leachate wells like dumping sites -though harmful due to no control or monitoring. Natural attenuation of eco-toxicants is possible as pollutants transport from the original source from high concentration zone to zones with lesser concentration. Principles of reduction through biodegradation, dilution and diffusion are likely to respond to stimuli concentration of leachate constituent.Выщелачивание, образующееся в результате разложения твердых отходов, остается экологической проблемой. Рассмативаются процессы естественного снижения экотоксикантов, скорость котоых зависит от зависит от ряда таких факторов, как-наличие разлагателей, просачивание воды, степень уплотнения отходов и т.д. и возможности способы их оптимизаци

THE ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECTS OF OIL EXPLORATION ON ECOLOGICAL FOREST. A PARADOX FOR AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN NIGER DELTA REGION, NIGERIA

It is logically acceptable in a true premise to say that there exist multiple effects in various activities taking place from the land to the environment. These effects are now spreading rapidly making human, animals, air, soil, water, plants, and planet even more vulnerable to multiple exposures. Interestingly, agriculture and environment are both interrelated and connected but only human action depicts the simultaneous cohesion which brings contradictions in them. The Nigerian soil in Niger Delta has witnessed this malady for over 50 years without remedies around the corner. Unsustainable pattern of natural resources consumption has witnessed 83% of oil spills leeched into arable land and 17% in the swampy areas within one year and two months in some selected places recorded. A development which continually promote degradation of the natural ecosystem, affecting forest, agricultural production, and environmental sustainability. It has posed a threat, challenging both the present and future sustainable agricultural production, and human survival especially in this region. To support both present and future economic sustenance of the Nation at large, the natural resources exploitation requires green production activities to correct three ways adversely affecting how human beings use the environment to sustain their productive life as discussed in the methodology. This paper cross-examines the incongruity created due to anthropogenic activities by the unwise use of the natural resources in the environment leading to disproportionate forestation, poverty, agricultural poor yields, loss of environmental services and biodiversity. Consequently, the study objective is specifically concerned about the serious challenges facing the long-term environmental problems of oil spillages on forest and agricultural sustainability in the Niger Delta region. The study gives more insight into future sustainable planning using Multiple Exposures Multiple Effects (MEME) model analysis. It will benefit the community, public and private institutions, government agencies, policy-makers, stakeholders among others

THE ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECTS OF OIL EXPLORATION ON ECOLOGICAL FOREST. A PARADOX FOR AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN NIGER DELTA REGION, NIGERIA

It is logically acceptable in a true premise to say that there exist multiple effects in various activities taking place from the land to the environment. These effects are now spreading rapidly making human, animals, air, soil, water, plants, and planet even more vulnerable to multiple exposures. Interestingly, agriculture and environment are both interrelated and connected but only human action depicts the simultaneous cohesion which brings contradictions in them. The Nigerian soil in Niger Delta has witnessed this malady for over 50 years without remedies around the corner. Unsustainable pattern of natural resources consumption has witnessed 83% of oil spills leeched into arable land and 17% in the swampy areas within one year and two months in some selected places recorded. A development which continually promote degradation of the natural ecosystem, affecting forest, agricultural production, and environmental sustainability. It has posed a threat, challenging both the present and future sustainable agricultural production, and human survival especially in this region. To support both present and future economic sustenance of the Nation at large, the natural resources exploitation requires green production activities to correct three ways adversely affecting how human beings use the environment to sustain their productive life as discussed in the methodology. This paper cross-examines the incongruity created due to anthropogenic activities by the unwise use of the natural resources in the environment leading to disproportionate forestation, poverty, agricultural poor yields, loss of environmental services and biodiversity. Consequently, the study objective is specifically concerned about the serious challenges facing the long-term environmental problems of oil spillages on forest and agricultural sustainability in the Niger Delta region. The study gives more insight into future sustainable planning using Multiple Exposures Multiple Effects (MEME) model analysis. It will benefit the community, public and private institutions, government agencies, policy-makers, stakeholders among others

Morphodynamics of river and coastal transport of sediments in mega delta basin, Niger Delta Nigeria

Niger delta is recognized as the third mega deltas in the history of mankind. Understanding the sediment dynamics and morphodynamics relationship between the morphology of the bedrocks to the hydrodynamic of its transport sediments is crucial for water bodies' preservation, conservation, and sustainability. Sediments transportation in Niger delta involves a two-phase flow system in which one phase is considered to be fluid and the other phase is solid. The water bodies is seldom saturated with sediments occasioned by irregular solid waste dumps, erosions debris, and transported at ease without any form of management or control for many years now. Consequently, poor water resources, agriculture and fishery production are at extreme lost as sediment transport and deposition influences great magnitude of useful river dynamics. Therefore, the objective of this study is focused on whether sediment transport has an effect on the morphology of the channel in the Niger Delta basin. It is necessary to determine the relationship between these two key variables; Sediment yield and channel morphology. A correlation matrix was generated in MS Excel to determine the underlying relationship between the variables under study with a coefficient of determination of 11.23% and a positive correlation between suspended sediment yield, bed load and channel morphology of +0.345. The paper will be useful to research institutions, water resources agencies, government and environmental experts and engineers. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Effect of plant spacing and variety on weed and performance of orange-fleshed sweet potato in humid agro-ecological zone of Nigeria

Among the crops grown in the tropics, sweet potato ranks second after cassava. Field research was conducted at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, south-eastern Nigeria, to evaluate the response of orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties to intra-row spacing. Treatments included four varieties (Umuspo 1, Umuspo 3, Ex-Igbariam and Ex-Oyunga) and three intra – row spacings (20, 30 and 40 cm). Weed density and growth decreased, but sweetpotato leaf area index (LAI), fresh shoot biomass and storage root yield increased significantly (P<0.05) at the closer spacing (20 cm) than at the wider spacings (30 and 40 cm). Umuspo 1 had higher LAI and shoot biomass; and suppressed weeds more than other varieties. Also, storage root yield of Umuspo 1 (27.2t/ha) was significantly higher than that of Umuspo 3, Ex-Igbariam and Ex-Oyunga by 35, 103 and 325%, respectively.Keywords: Plant spacing, variety, yield, orange-fleshed, sweet potato, Nigeri

ENERGY SITUATION IN NIGERIA AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DRIVE

The paper examines current Nigerian energy deficiency situation and the magnitude effects it has on sustainable development drive. Energy and economic growth in manufacturing and social well-being are mutually un-exclusive. A large population of over 160 million depends on less than 3000MW supply of electricity for industrial and socio-economic activities. And the power sector still faces high energy losses from generation to billing, management, insufficient cash collection and has pushed cost maintenance to government funding. As a result, only 10% of the rural households and less than 50% of the entire country's population have access to electricity. This management deficiency encourages the use of fossil fuel powered generators in all the homes and diesel generators for production, thereby causing serious environmental air pollutions, import of goods, and zero manufacturing innovation in the economy among others. This paper takes cognizance of the technical issues involved and suggests how sustainable development could reach its strategies if changes could occur soonest in the energy sector. (C) 2017 The Authors