Influence of Different Growth Media on Growth and Yield Performances of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus Linn.)

Growth and yield performances of cucumber (Cucumis sativus Linn.) as influenced by different growth media were experimented at the field research site of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. Loamy/top soil, mixture of top soil + pulverized poultry droppings, sandy soil, clayey soil and washed river sand (as control) were employed as growth media/treatments (A, B, C, D & E respectively) and their physicochemical analyses (pH, total nitrogen, organic carbon, available phosphorus, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, exchangeable acidity, ECEC, textural class) were carried out prior to the commencement of the study. The experiment was a completely randomized design consisting of 5 treatments and 5 replicates. Seedlings’ emergence percentage, morphological growth characters (tendril collar girth, number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches, tendril length) and yield indices (number of flowers, number of fruits, size of fruits and fruit fresh weight) were assessed. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. 100% seedlings’ emergence was observed in all the treatments except B which had 50% only, ANOVA indicated significant differences (at P<0.01/P<0.05) among the treatments of which treatment B (mixture of top soil + pulverized poultry droppings) emerged as the best treatment that outstandingly and positively influenced the growth and yield of the cucumber plant and was recommended for its commercial cultivation/production. Keywords: Growth, yield, performance, cucumber, growth media

The Most Influential Morphological Growth Parameter Determining Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Yiled Under Agroforestry System (Alley Cropping)

Incontrovertibly, a reasonable number of morphological indices influence Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum Lin.) yield. More often than not, some of these parameters (e. g. plant height, collar girth, leaf count) contribute positively to potato yield while a very few number of them (e. g. stem count stand-1) negatively affect the yield in both rain-fed and irrigated cropping seasons under alley cropping. Thus, this experiment was conducted to know the most influential (external morphological) growth parameter that determines potato yield. The experiment was a completely randomized block design consisting of five treatments and three replicates for 5 cropping seasons within 3 years. Results from analysis of variance indicated significant differences among some morphological parameters on yield (at P<0.01). Correlation/ regression analyses indicated that collar girth had the highest positive correlation with yield (r = 0.954, R2 = 0.910, P < 0.01) in rain-fed cropping seasons while leaf count recorded the highest positive correlation with yield during the irrigated cropping seasons (r = 0.958, R2 = 0.913, P < 0.01) and in all the combined cropping seasons (from the simple correlation matrix, bi-variate /multiple Correlation/ regression analyses). Therefore, it was confirmed that leaf count was the most influential/main determinant of potato yield under alley cropping (an agroforestry system). Keywords: morphological parameters, alley cropping, determinant, potato yield

Use of Instructional Methods and Materials in Teaching Fine and Applied Arts in Colleges of Education in South-West, Nigeria

This study determines the use of instructional methods and materials in teaching Fine and Applied Arts in colleges of education in South-West, Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was descriptive research using survey methods. Therefore, all 141 Fine and Applied Arts lecturers in government owned were purposively selected for the study. The instrument for data collection was research designed questionnaire titled use of instructional methods and materials in teaching Fine and Applied Arts in colleges of education in South-West, Nigeria. The questionnaire was validated by three curriculum experts and three Fine and Applied Arts lecturers for face and content validity. Test re-test method was used for reliability study while the instrument was subjected to analysis using Cronbach alpha statistic. The value yielded 0.82, 0.77, 0.81, 0.71 and 0.67 respectively. Research questions 1, 3 and 5 were answered using mean rating while research questions 2 and 4 were answered using frequency count and percentage. The results indicated that project method, lecture method and discovery method were mostly used by the lecturers. Lecturer integrated Fine and Applied Arts students into the practical activities and used the equipment and materials regularly. The lecturers usually covered minimum standards. The major problem encountered by Fine and Applied Arts lecturers was inadequate time for practical work. Based on the finding of this study, it was recommended among others that the Fine and Applied Arts lecturers should be encouraged to attend seminars, workshops and conferences to update themselves in their teaching skills

Study the effect of acid immersion on the hardness of (Epoxy – Granite) composite

This work has been done with using of epoxy resin mixed with Granite powder were weighted by percent volume (5,10,15, and 20)%and then mixed with epoxy polymer to compose polymer composite. Hand lay-up technique is used in fabrication of the composite samples. Hardness test was carried out for the proper samples in both normal condition and after immersion in HCL (1 M and 2 M) solutions for periods ranging up to 10 weeks. After comparing the results between the polymer and their composite, the hardness increased with increasing Granite weight percent, it was found that Hardness were greater for the composites before immersion compared with their values after immersion

Predicting the Breach Hydrograph Resulting Due to Hypothetical Failure of Haditha Dam

A hydrologic model is developed to compute the reservoir outflow hydrograph resulting from a hypothetical failure of Haditha dam located across the Euphrates river in Iraq due to enemy attack. In this program, the reservoir routing is analyzed by the level pool method in which storage is a nonlinear function of discharge. The results indicate that the maximum reservoir outflow is (202547 m3/s) which occurred about three and half hours after dam failure, and the reservoir will be depleted after about 65 hours. The results of the hydrologic model are compared with available results reported by Macdonald and Monopolis (1984), and it is found that the hydrologic results situate within the limits of their study

Comparative analysis of exhaust gases obtained in S.I and C.I of an internal combustion engine

This paper is aimed at analyzing, determining and comparing the composition of exhaust gases of automobile ICE through experimental determination of the exhaust gas values at different loads and speeds of both engines; and determination of the effect of engine speeds and loads on exhaust emissions of both engines.ICE which could be spark ignition (S.I) or compression ignition (C.I) engine is one of the building blocks of modern civilization. In light of this, an effective engine should be able to contribute immensely to a safe environment. Numerous factors like fuel economy, power and torque, reliability, pollution, safety and cost are necessary in determining and comparing the effectiveness of the engines. This paper identifies, examines and compares the rate of incombustible particles present in the engines (S.I and C.I) at varying loading and speed conditions via exhaust gas detector. Post-hoc analysis was carried out using SPSS. It was discovered that CO and HC are the most dangerous incombustible particles present in engines and also the incombustible rate is more pronounced in C.I than S.I engine, which confirmed that S.I. engine is far better in terms of pollution reduction. Probable recommendations were later made.Self-sponsore

Suitable priming for rice yield improvement

Low yield of rice has made reaching self-sufficiency level in Malaysia elusive. So, Malaysia has become a target of rice exporting countries within and outside Asia. To solve this problem, a pre-sowing seed treatment was used as a physiological intervention to alleviate the impeding problems of achieving better growth and yield of Malaysian rice variety MR219. A glass house experiment, which involved the use of solutions of osmotic salts and plant hormones, was used for this investigation. Data on germination percentages, height, number of tillers and productive tillers, tiller efficiency and yield were taken. In both osmopriming and hormonal priming treatments, the highest number of tillers and productive tillers were from pre-germination. The tallest plants from osmopriming were from 150mM treatment, while 50 ppm GA3 had the tallest in hormonal priming. The highest tiller efficiency for osmopriming was from 150mM and and 200mM sodium chloride, while in hormonal priming it was 200 ppm salicylic acid. For yield per panicle in osmopriming, it was 50mM and 100mM magnesium chloride that had the highest, while in hormonal priming it was 200 ppm methyl jasmonate. Finally, the highest grain yield per hill was produced by 200 ppm methyl jasmonate in hormonal priming, while 50Mm magnesium chloride had the highest yield in osmotic priming. So, it is concluded that the use of 200 ppm methyl jasmonate and 50Mm magnesium chloride could be used as potential hormonal priming and osmopriming, respectively, for yield improvement of MR219 rice in Malaysia

ASSESSMENT OF SCARCITY OF WOODWORK ARTISAN IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Woodwork artisanal scarcity is at an alarming rate in Nigeria and in Kwara state in particular. The reason being that most of the available woodwork artisans lack adequate skills demanded quality Building Construction. Generally, the issue of woodwork artisanal scarcity is not a current one as it dates as far back as the two World Wars. This study is on the causes of the observed scarcity of woodwork artisans in Nigeria and Kwara state in particular. The objectives of the study were to identify the factors increasing woodwork artisanal scarcity in Kwara state, its effect on Kwara state economy and the possible remedies. The study employed the use of descriptive survey design which involves the use of a structured questionnaire to collect data from 25 contractors and 35 woodwork artisans in carpentry and joinery. There was no sampling because the population is manageable, hence, the entire population was used. Mean ratings were used to answer research questions. The findings show that major factors causing the scarcity of woodwork artisans include; fluctuating payment, low remuneration, low motivation, lack of interest to take-up woodwork trade by youth, technological advancements in tools, equipment and working process. It also identified the effects of scarcity of woodwork artisan on Kwara state economy. Based on the finding of the study, it was recommended that the Carpentry and Joinery Union of Kwara state should encourage the welfare of its members in order to improve the issues raised by this study

Evaluation of the Wood and Plastic Formworks in Building Construction Industry for Sustainable Development

This research work assessed wood and plastic in building construction. The study was a descriptive survey design and as such made use of questionnaire with 42 items. The Population of the study was 110 respondents which include 40 building professional and 70 non-building professional. The data were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The finding of the study shows that plastic work form can be used for casting slab, concrete wall among others. The finding also revealed some factors that determines the selection of form work such as climatic condition, labour efficiency and that plastic formwork saves cost as a result of long reuse period. It is therefore recommended that; plastic and wooden formwork should be integrated often in the casting of slabs, beam and columns without discrimination, proper adherence to standards and specifications for use of any type of formwork, there should be large scale production of plastic formwork to conserve forest and wood, factors to be considered in the selection of formwork should not be ignored, there should be proper weighing of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of formwork relating to the scale of construction before the choice of any formwork

A hybrid haptic stimulation wearable device to recover the missing sensation of the upper extremity prostheses’ users

A hybrid haptic feedback stimulation system that is capable in sensing the surface texture, and the temperature, simultaneously, was designed for a prosthetic hand to provide a tactile sensation to amputation patients. In addition, the haptic system was developed to enable the prosthetic’s users to implement withdrawal reflexes due to the thermal noxious stimulus in a quick manner. The re-sensation is achieved by non-invasively stimulating the skin of the patients’ residual limbs, based on the type and the level of tactile signals provided by the sensory system of the prostheses. Accordingly, a novel hybrid pressure-vibration- temperature feedback stimulation system was design to provide a huge information regarding the prostheses environment to the users without brain confusing or requiring long pre-training. An evaluation of sensation and response will be performed with healthy volunteers to evaluate the ability of the haptic system to stimulate the human nervous system. The results were presented in term of Stimulus Identification Rate (SIR). The test results and the volunteers' response established evidence that amputees are able to recover their sense of the contact pressure, the surface texture, and the object temperature as well as to perform thermal withdrawal reflexes using the solution developed in this work