Monosaccharide Distribution of Soils on a Toposequence in the Humid Tropical Rainforest, Southeastern, Nigeria

Soil monosaccharide distribution provides useful information about its carbohydrate origin and tendency for carbon sequestration. Monosaccharide (glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose and xylose) distribution of soils on a toposequence in Mbano, southeastern, Nigeria was estimated by extracting 1g soil with 25 mls of 80% hot alcohol. Experimental design was a 2 x 3 x 5 factorial of horizon, physiography and monosaccharides in a randomized complete block setup with 3 replications. Also monosaccharide contents were correlated and regressed with soil properties. Mean monosaccharide contents averaged over horizons and physiography varied as 0.03, 0.07, 0.68, 0.74 and 0.88% in increasing order of glucose < galactose < mannose < xylose < arabinose. Also, averaged over horizon and monosaccharides, mean values were 0.62, 0.79 and 0.98% in increasing sequence of toe-slope < summit < mid-slope physiographic positions. Averaged over physiographic positions and monosaccharide contents, concentrations  of AB (0.670%) was distinctly (LSD 0.05) better than A (0.30%) horizons. Galactose+mannose/arabinose+xylose and mannose/xylose ratios were less than unity indicating that the carbohydrates were of plant origin. Also, mean arabinose/xylose and xylose/mannose ratios were greater than unity, signifying fresh plant tissues with high decomposition rates respectively. Soil monosaccharides correlated (P < 0.05) with the bulk density, clay, ECEC, moisture content, pH, total porosity, P and organic carbon with less than 20% of the monosaccharides accounted by the soil properties. In general, the soil carbohydrates originated from fresh rapidly decomposing plant tissues with poor tendency for carbon sequestration. Keywords: Monosaccharide, toposequence, carbon sequestration, humid tropics and southeastern Nigeri

Studies of glutamine metabolism in skeletal muscle and other tissues

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EVALUATION OF THE EFFICACY OF SOME PLANT LEAF EXTRACTS ON INSECT PEST INFESTATION, GROWTH AND YIELD OF CUCUMBER IN OKIGWE SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

Field experiments were carried out at the National Horticultural Research Institute, Okigwe, Imo State during the late cropping of 2012 and was repeated at the same cropping season in 2013 to evaluate the efficacies of some ethanol plant leaf extracts namely: garlic (Allium sativum), Neem (Azadiracta indica), Ocimum gratissimum, Moringa olifera and tithonia on the insect pests of cucumber. The treatments consisted of three levels of concentration of each of the five extracts namely 50%, 75% and 100% as well as distilled water, concentrated water and synthetic insecticide cypermetrine at12.5% E.C. There were eighteen treatments for each season which were replicated three times in a split-plot experimented design. Results of the studies showed the identified commonest insect pest of the crop in the 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons to include flea beetles (Cerotoma ruficornis), cucumber beetle, Leptoglossus autralis and Diabrotica spp. The results also demonstrated that all the tested plant extracts at bi-weekly spraying interval were efficacious in controlling the insect pests. The efficacy of Allium sativum at 100% concentration was highest of all the plant extracts where 0.84kg/plot and1.05kg/plot were recorded in 2012 and 2013 seasons respectively. This was followed by 100% concentration of Azadirachta indica, 100% ocimum, 100% Moringa olifera and tithonia in that order. The efficacy of the cypermethrine (synthetic insecticidial check) was highest having performed best. Significant difference (P < 0.05) existed between the untreated (control) and all the treated plots in insect population and yield. However, the tested plant extracts at the three different concentration of 50%, 75% and 100% in both seasons proved efficacious in the control of the insect pests of cucumber as78.2% reduction in insect population, 79/8% reduction in leaf damage and 79.3% marketable fruit number were recorded in 2012 and 82.7% reduction in insect population, 76.4% reduction in leaf damage and 85.9% marketable fruit number in 2013 cropping season