Estimation of Water Requirements of Selected Field Crops in South- West and South- East Nigeria

Estimation of crop water requirement of some selected field crops was carried out based on twenty-one years and ten years meteorological data at Abeokuta and Umudike respectively. These crops include as maize, pepper and tomato. Reference evapotranspiration was calculated using BlaneyCriddle model for Abeokuta and Penman Model for Umudike. The result obtained showed that the seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ETcrop) for maize, pepper and tomato were 378.33, 558.51 and 505.92mm/month in Abeokuta and 353.13, 130.97, and 464.82mm/month in Umudike. Effective rainfall (ER) was lower than the water requirement in the months of May and June for maize cultivation in Abeokuta, similarly, effective rainfall was lower that the water requirement in the months of March, April, May and August for pepper in Abeokuta. This indicates that supplemental irrigation was needed during these months. Irrigation water requirement (IR) was 11.73mm for soils of Umudike. The study also established that pepper and maize could be grown conveniently during their growing season without supplemental irrigation in Umudike. However, the sufficient water availability for crops in Umudike during their growing season will produce good yields and good quality crops compared to Abeokuta

Development of a Solar-Powered Integrated Wireless Soil Moisture Meter

In this study, we developed a solar-powered integrated wireless soil moisture meter that can easily measure in situ soil moisture, soil temperature, and hydrogen potential (pH) using nature\u27s solar energy. Knowledge of soil moisture content and other relevant soil-specific parameters is essential for irrigation scheduling, fertilizer selection, and fertigation. Also, considering that the electricity supply in some developing countries is either erratic or unavailable, this research aims to bridge the gap in electricity availability and ease of measurement and integrate more soil-specific parameters. The sensor system was developed using the frequency domain (FD) technique for fast response. These parameters were measured sequentially at an interval of about 5 seconds, with the readings displayed simultaneously on a Bluetooth-connected device (e.g., an Android phone) located about 50 meters away from the developed system. The different sensors are classified and adequately labeled to identify the parameter to be measured. The performance evaluation carried out indicated a reasonably functioning device that is cost-effective. The results obtained showed that the system was resourceful as it not only measured the parameters of interest (soil moisture, temperature, and pH) but also gave a prompt response in measurement and transmission. Overall, the developed wireless soil moisture meter provides instantaneous data on pH, moisture, and temperature circulation across soil layers. The system is promising as it can be integrated into large-scale automated irrigation systems for agricultural lands

Quality Assessment of Selected Public Recreational Waters in Sango-Ota Metropolis, Nigeria

The evaluation of selected public swimming pools within Sango-Ota metropolis was done to determine whether the pools adapt to the recommended WHO standard for swimming pool water. Six pools were selected based on the average population per use and user ratings. A total of 12 water samples were analysed physicochemical and microbial qualities using standard methods. The  physicochemical characterization results are as follows; pH, 5.00 - 5.73 with mean value of 5.3; Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), 44.00 - 48.50 mg/L with mean 46.0 mg/L; Alkalinity, 24.00 - 28.50 mg/L with mean 26.0 mg/L; total hardness, 0.80 - 1.23 mg/L with mean 1.0 mg/L; iron, 0.05 – 0.69 mg/L with mean 0.3 mg/L; residual chlorine, 1.06 – 3.25 mg/L with mean 1.9 mg/L. The microbial characterization results are as follows; Zero count for Salmonella-shigella; Total Aerobic Plate Count (TAPC),1360 - 7270 cfu/mL; Escherichia coli count, 0 - 7 cfu/mL; coliform count, 2 – 25 cfu/mL.  The isolated microorganisms from the pools were Escherichia coli, Proteus Vulgaris, Yersinia Enterocolitica, Proteus Mirabilis, Citrobacter Freundi and Vibro Chlorea occurred in 8.33%, respectively while Klebsiella Pneumonia, Entrobacter Aerogenes, Pseudonomas sp. occurred 16.67%. The pH of the analysed pools didn’t comply with the WHO standards while other physicochemical parameters conform to the standard except for pools C and F which had a higher concentration of iron. However, the existence of pathogenic microorganisms in the pools classified them as unsafe for swimming activities. This study recommends routine testing and comprehensive treatments with respect to regulatory standards.  Pool managers should strictly adhere to the bathing load limit and ensure the pool users take shower before using the swimming pools to forestall the outbreak of waterborne disease