Effects of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) as a Live mulch on weed management in maize cropping

Weed interference is a major constraint in maize cultivation. Living mulch as an alternative weed control strategy has been established to be environmentally safe but has not been widely used in maize cultivation. The aim of this research was to evaluate the weed management attributes of Vigna unguiculata in maize cropping. A field study was carried out in the crop garden of the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The treatments were maize interplanted with Cowpea at 20,000 (M1), 30,000 (M2), 40,000 (M3) plants/hectare, hoe weeding (M4), weedy check (M5) and Primextra-2.5 L/ha (M6). The treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design, each replicated four times. Weed Dry Weight (WDW) and Weed Control Efficiency–WCE (%) were calculated following standardized methods. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α0.05. The treatment plots were dominated by weed species in the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae families. The M5 accounted for the highest WDW (126.30 g). The WCE was highest in M3 (94.8%) and least in M5 (66.4%). Maize and cowpea interplant at 40,000 plants/hectare suppressed weed. Hence, cowpea is an ideal weed suppressant and can be inter-planted as a cover crop in maize cropping systems

Description and Composition of Tree Species in a Tertiary Institution Agricultural Faculty Arboretum, Ibadan, South-West Nigeria

The Arboretum of the Agricultural Faculty of a tertiary institution in Ibadan is known for its rich diversity of trees. Therefore, the study investigates the tree growth variables in the arboretum such as diameter at breast height (dbh), diameter at the base, middle and top of the bole, total height, merchantable height and crown diameter. The basal area and volume were then calculated per species and per family. Several models were fitted for the height – diameter relationship and crown diameter – diameter relationship and crown diameter – dbh relationship. Positive linear relationships were observed among the growth variables. The fitted models showed that cubic models exhibit a more reliable function than quadratic and linear models for crown diameter – dbh predictions as it has R2 above 0.75. Endangered species were observed too and this was indicated through the diversity index obtained. The highest basal area encounter belongs to myrtaceae family (9.61m2) while the lowest belongs to pinaceae family (0.24m2). The total basal area obtained at (31.72m2) from the faculty trees indicates that they are exhibiting better growth and yield

Comparative Evaluation of Fodder Yield and Leaf Quality of Some Selected Tree Species

Abstract Tropical trees had served a wide range of purpose from supply of timber, fuel wood, pulp and fibre through to fodder, gum, drugs, and dyes. This study considered the fodder yield and leaf quality of three fodder tree species namely: Moringa oleifera, Albizia lebbeck and Gmelina arborea at seedling stage. The experiment was carried out in polythene pot laid out in a completely randomized design with ten replications. Study spanned over a period of twelve weeks. Seedlings were assessed for plant height, number of leaves and stem diameter. Leaf quality parameters assessed were elemental nutrient and proximate composition. Results obtained from the study showed that Moringa oleifera gave the highest mean plant height and mean stem diameter of 30.93cm and 3.52mm respectively while Gmelina arborea recorded the highest mean number of leaves (8.10) over the study period. Leaf quality analysis revealed that Albizia lebbeck leaves were richest in potassium and copper with values of 5.53% and 24.23mg/g respectively. Moringa oleifera was least in potassium content (4.55%). Proximate analysis result indicated that Moringa oleifera had the highest crude protein content of 17.88% while Albizia lebbeck was best in crude fibre content (2.00%). All three tree species recorded no significant difference in dry matter content of 45.08%, 45.00% and 45.63% respectively. These tree species should be encouraged within the farming system of farmer to aid animal production