Influence of Biofertilizer-Fortified Organic and Inorganic Nitrogenous Fertilizers on Performance of Sesame (Sesamum indicum Linn.) and Soil Properties Under Savanna Ecoregion

Application of chemical fertilizers as supplement to the pre-existing soil nutrients has become inevitable for obtaining optimum crop performance in the tropics. However, persistent application of inorganic fertilizers affects soil physicochemical conditions and reduces crop productivity. Integration of mycorrhizal inoculum as biofertilizer and organic manure with little inorganic fertilizer input could improve crop performance and soil quality. However, there is little information on response of crops particularly Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) to such integrated nutrient management approach. Two greenhouse experiments were carried out at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Nigeria and Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R&T), Moor plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria to assess response of sesame to integrated nutrient management approach. Twelve factorial combinations each of integrated green tithonia biomass and urea, with and without Glomus clarum mycorrhizal inoculum were investigated. Trials were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Data were collected on growth and yield parameters and analysed using ANOVA at p < 0.05. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly enhanced sesame growth (except number of branches) and yield with or without applied N-source(s), compared to their non-inoculated counterparts. Sesame responded best to inoculation of 75% tithonia + 25 % Urea + Glomus clarum which significantly enhanced plant height, stem circumference, number of leaves, biomass yield and seed yield. Soil physical and chemical properties significantly improved with increasing application of green Tithonia-biomass. At above 50 % of urea integration, values of growth and yield parameters were statistically similar but significantly higher than the control. Thus, green Tithonia-biomass integration at 75 % level with urea at 25 % level to meet up N-requirement of sesame + mycorrhizal inoculum is suitable for optimum growth and yield of sesame and improved soil quality under savanna ecoregion

Consumer identity & Nigerian wedding rituals : a blended netnography approach

(Global) White wedding rituals is the chosen consumption sphere for this study due to its preference for intense consumption of symbolic artefacts and its global reach. The materialistic tendency of the global white wedding allows for its infiltration and deterritorialised usage in most local wedding rituals. Nigeria was the preferred research site due to her prominent cosmopolitan tendencies and large consumer market, rife with Nigerian and non-Nigerian consumer goods. In particular, Nigerian wedding rituals were explored due to their proximity to the global white wedding and concentration of conspicuous consumption. Methodologically, a blended Netnography was applied, to collect and analyse online and offline data to illuminate the interaction of global white wedding consumer culture with Nigerian weddings. Here, thematic analysis was applied, uncovering the paths where Nigerian culture mixes, resists and elaborates on (global) white wedding consumer culture. The findings indicate a complex use of wedding rituals at performing, negotiating and maintaining multiple identities including consumer and ethno-religious identities. Bridal identity, a globally recognisable consumer identity was performed within Nigerian wedding rituals. However, its expression was mostly localised, with traditional institutions of family and religion playing an outsized role in its expression. Contrary to the typical bridal identity that is market driven but sprinkled with ethno-religious aesthetics, in Nigeria, wedding vendors were largely absent and, in some cases, they actively undermined the bride. Further, the research concluded that Nigerian bridal identity is typically embedded within religious and familial guidelines. There are multiple occurrences of creativity, whereby, brides synthesise their personal aesthetic with traditional norms within said guidelines. When the bride’s preferences go beyond prescribed expectations, the traditional institutions of family and religion re-assert their dominance over the ritual, resulting in a strained and unpredictable bridal identity

SPARC 2017 retrospect & prospects : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2017 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the 50th anniversary of Salford as a University, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 130 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to exploit this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas to your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers