Evaluation Of In-Vitro Antimicrobial Activities And Phytochemical Constituents Of Cassia occidentalis

The research was carried out to evaluate the in-vitro antimicrobial activity and phytochemical constituents of Cassia occdentials. Cassia leaves were collected from Kacha town in Niger State and extracted using methano, hexane, chloroform and water extraction methods. Serial concentrations: 50 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 % methanol, hexane, chloroform and aqueous extracts were prepared and sterilized. The bacterial isolates used; E. coli, P. multocida, S. typhi, S. typhimurium, S. pyogenes, S. pneumoniae and K. pneumoniae were authenticated using biochemical and serological methods. The suspenson (0.5) of each bacterial isolate was prepared in isotonic sodium chloride. The disc agar diffusion method was performed on 70 Mueller-Hinton agar pates, 10 per microorganism , using serial diffusion concentraton: 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 and 1000 mg o hexane, methanol, chloroform and water. The results showed that all the extracts of Cassia occidentalis have antimicrobial activity on E col at concentrations between 900 – 1000 mg. E. coli was most susceptible to hexane extract at concentration ranges between 500 – 1000 mg, there was no antimicrobial activity exhibited against the other tested microorganisms Phytochemical analyses showed the presence of alkaloid, tannin, saponin, glycoside and flavonoid, steroid was absent. Keywords: Evaluation, In-vitro, Antimicrobial activity, Phytochemical properties, Cassia occidentalisAnimal Research International Vol. 3 (3) 2006 pp. 566-56

Correlation Studies for Bulb Yield and Yield Contributing Traits among Onion (Allium cepa L.) Genotypes

Thirty-seven Onion (Allium cepa L.) genotypes comprising of twelve parents (12) and twenty-five hybrids were evaluated at the Fadama Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto during the 2015/2016 dry season. The objective of the study is to determine the correlation of characters among the 37 genotypes. The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. After harvesting, the genotypes were stored for five months using farmers practice. The analysis of the results indicated highly significant (P<0.001) positive correlation between plant height and leaf area (1), plant height and leaf area index (0.84676), plant height and number of leaves (0.46727) plant height and percentage loss (0.43356) leaf area and leaf area index (0.85459), leaf area and cured bulb weight (0.47029), leaf area and percentage loss (0.50254) number of leaves and cured bulb weight (0.51363), number of leaves and percentage loss (0.43259), bulb diameter and bulb length (0.36367), bulb diameter and percentage loss (0.68209). Results obtained indicated highly significant (<0.001) negative correlation between leaf area index and days to maturity (-0.29333), leaf area index and number of leaves (- 0.29333), number of leaves and bulb diameter (- 0.02255), and between days to maturity and percentage loss (- 0.86679). Results obtained also revealed significant (<0.05) negative correlation between number of leaves and percentage bolting (- 0.26466) number of leaves and average bulb weight (- 0.26466) number of leaves and days to maturity (- 0.24959) days to maturity and average bulb weight (0.02255) cured bulb weight and days to maturity (-0.24001). The results of the study, therefore, conclude that Onion genotypes with longer maturity are best for storage

Heterosis for Enhanced Shelf Life and Earliness in Onions (Allium cepa L.) Genotypes

Thirty-seven Onion (Allium cepa L.) genotypes comprising of twelve parents (12) and twenty-five hybrids were evaluated for enhanced storage shelf life and early maturity at the Fadama Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto during the 2015/2016 dry season. The objective of the research was to determine superior hybrids that can be stored as well as those that matures early. The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. After harvesting, the genotypes were stored for five months under farmers practice. The analysis of the results indicated significant (P < 0.05) difference between the genotypes with respect to plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf area index, percentage bolting, days to maturity, bulb diameter, bulb height, average bulb weight, fresh bulb yield, cured bulb yield, yield and percentage loss after five months of storage.   Cross B × K had the tallest plants (57.73 cm), B × E had the highest number of leaves/plant of 17, B × K had the broadest leaf area of 166.5 cm2, B × E recorded the highest leaf area index of 4.704, H × L recorded highest bolting percentage of 69.45%, E × F recorded lowest number of days to maturity of 91 days, E × F recorded broadest bulb diameter of 8.75 cm, D × H recorded tallest bulb height of 7.2 cm, B × E had the highest average bulb weight, fresh bulb yield and cured bulb yield of 0.282 kg, 47 t/ha, and 46.11 t/ha respectively. Cross C × E had the least percentage loss of 23.60%, while E × F had the highest loss of 68.15%. Based on the results obtained. The cross C × E was recommended for storage while B × E was recommended for early maturity

Estimates of Heritability for Enhanced Storage Shelf Life and Early Maturity in Onions (Allium cepa L.)

Thirty-seven Onion (Allium cepa L.) genotypes comprising of twelve parents (12) and twenty-five hybrids were evaluated at the Fadama Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto during the 2015/2016 dry season. The objective of the study was to estimate heritability, phenotypic coefficient of variation, the genotypic coefficient of variation and environmental coefficient of variation. The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. After harvesting, the genotypes were stored for five months under farmers practice. The analysis of the results indicated significant (P < 0.05) difference between the genotypes with respect to plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf area index, percentage bolting, days to maturity, bulb diameter, bulb height, average bulb weight, fresh bulb yield, cured bulb yield, and percentage weight loss after five months of storage. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were observed. However, cured bulb weight recorded the highest values for both phenotypic (176.57%) and genotypic coefficients of variation (167.67%) followed by percentage bolting with 65.51 and 56.58% respectively. Days to maturity and plant height, on the other hand, recorded the lowest phenotypic coefficient of variation of (11.64 and 12.79% respectively) as well as genotypic coefficient of variation of 11.43 and 9.18% respectively. Percentage loss had the highest heritability (98.01%) while leaf area index had the lowest heritability of 14.11%. At the end of the research, it was concluded that all the characters were highly heritable with the exception of leaf area index