Abubakar, S.

Daddy, F.

Owotunse, S.

English

Aquatic Commons

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF WATER ON
WATER HYACINTH GROWTH PERFORMANCE
F. DADDY*, S. ABUBAKAR** and S. OWOTUNSE*
*Natjonal In St it ute for Freshwater Fisheries Research 'NIFFR,)
PMB 6006, New Bussa, Nigeria
**Minist,y ofAgri culture and Natural Resources, Fisheries Department,
Lokoja, Kogi State.
ABSTRACT
The experiment was designed to evaluate water hyacinth growth performance
using water sources with varied physico-chernical characteristics. The sourc.es
were distilled water, sewage water, lake water, bore hole water and tap water.
Water hyacinth was grown for 12 weeks at the National Institute for Freshwater
Fisheries Research, New Bussa in the different media. The distilled water
hydrogen ion concentration (pH) was neutral (pH 7,0) while sewage and lake
water were slightly acidic (pH 6.4 and 6.7) but bore hole and tap water samples
were slightly alkaline (pH 7.9 and 8.3, respectively). There was a significant
difference (CD >1) in the conductivity o samples from different sou±ces. The
experiment indicated that the higher nutrient content of the sewage water as
shown by conductivity levels was responsible for the higher growth responses
of water hyacinth than the rest of the samples. Plants grown in sewage water
showed an increase in leaf and stalk length of 45% and 39%, respectively.
There was a positive significant (p < 0.05) relationship between the
conductivity of the different water sources and weight gained by the plant
grown in them (r = 0.87). Similarly, between conductivity and vegetation
reproduction r = 0.95 (p <0.05).
130
INTRODUCTION
Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes
(Martins) Soims, has perhaps been a
subject of more inteilsive study than any
other aquatic plant in recent years. Much
efforts and funds have been devoted to the
control o. this prolific weed (Bates and
Hentges, 1976). And yet, many
investigators have directed their research
endeavours to the utilization of the water
hyacinth. Several scientists (Rogers and
Davis, 1972; Cornwell et al, 1977;
Socrjani, 1984) reported that water
hyacinth has been utilized as livestock
feed, bio-fertilizer, sewage purifier and
biogas production, paper and fiber
(Bagnall et al, 1974), and dried hyacinth
can be used as animal feed for cows, pigs,
goats, etc (CWSCB, 1982).
Although water hyacinth weed
constitutes ecological and environmental
problems that require high capital and
human resources to control, but recent
findings confirm the weed have enormous
potentials. A clear kowledge of culturing
the weed in controlled environments
would enhance availability during
harvesting without constituting further
inherent plant harmful characteristics.
Therefore, there must be a concerted effort
at harnessing this beneficial biological
resource rather than committing huge
financial and human resources at just
eradicating it.
The experiment was aimed at eva-
luating most tppropriate growth media to
131
boost water hyacinth biomass accuniu-
lation as industrial raw material.
MATERIALS AN]) METHODS
The experiment was carried out at the
National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries
Research, New Bussa. Water samples
were collected from five different sources
namely distilled water, sewage, lake water
(Kainji), bore hole water and pipe borne
water. Water from each sOurce was
collected directly by filling a thoroughly
washed 40-litre plastic container and
transported to the laboratory. The pipe
borne water was aged for 3 days to allow
the available chlorine to escape before use
in the laboratory. The physico-chemical
characteristics of each water sample were
taken. The hydrogen ion concentration
(pH) was determined with a pH meter. A
measure of the nutrient status of the water
samples was assessed by determining the
level of electrical conductivity. This was
measured with a conductivity meter
calibrated to read values at a standard
temperature of 25°C.
Water hyacinth plant was collected
from the concrete culturing tanks located
within the Institute and acclimatized for 2
days. Plastic containers (1 6-litre) properly
washed with the respective water sample,
labeled and arranged on 6 x 3m2 table
according to treatments were used in the
experiments. Each treatment had three
replicates making a total of 15 containers.
Water hyacinth plant weighing approxi-
mately 10 grammes was introduced in
each of the containers in which were
placed 10 litres of the appropriate water
sample. Treatment A was distilled water,
B sewage water, C lake water, D bore hole
water and E tap water. Before introducing
the plants into culture media the initial
measurements of the plant stalk length,
leaf width and length of leaf• were taken
using measuring ruler.
Subsequent measurements were taken
weekly to estimate the plant's growth rate
in the different culture media. Each
appropriate water sample was added
weekly to maintain the water level in each
plastic container. After 12 weeks culture
period, the total harvest of the plants was
made by hand removal of the stalks from
the floated roots. Final measurement of
the plant was taken before harvesting from
each treatment. Harvested leaves, stalks
and whole plant were oven dried at 80°C
for 24 hours (to a constant weight). After
24 hours the dry matter from each was
removed from the oven and weighed.
The number of off-shoots (daughter
plants) were also counted in each culture
media every week to provide data on rate
of recruitment potentials of the plants.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 shows the pH and conduc-
tivity level of the water samples. The
distilled water was neutral (pH 7.0) but
sewage and lake water samples were
slightly acidic. The bore hole and tap
water samples were slightly alkaline.
However, there was no significant
difference in the pH of the sample (CD <
1.0).
There was significant difference in the
conductivity of the samples from different
sources (CD >1). The sewage water
sample had the highest conductivity while
the distilled water had the lowest (Table
1). Lake water was almost 2 times more
conductive than the bore hole and tap
water. According to Mbagwu (1994),
conductivity can be used as a measure of
the potential nutrient level of a water
source and therefore, a measure of the
total dissolved solids (TDS). Essential
plant nutrients such as phosphate, nitrogen
and potassium, which are abundantly
dissolved in water from household waste,
contribute highly to the fertility of sewage
system than other water sources. Also, the
dissolved nutrient carried from used agro-
chemicals and from the extensive drainage
network of the basin conthbutcd to the
high conductivity of the lake water
(Adeniji et al, 2001).
Weight gained by the water hyacinth
plants after 12 weeks in the different
treatment is shown in Table 2. Weight
gained (626.7 g) was highest in the plants
grown in sewage water sample but
followed by lake water (592.Og). The
lowest weight gained was obtained from
the distilled water (222.6g). There was a
significant difference in the weight gained
of the plant grown in the different water
media (CD> 1).
132
Table 1. Hydrogen Ions Concentration (p11) and Conductivity Values of Water
from the Different Sources
Treatment pH Conductivity
(iihrnlcm)
A Distilled Water
B Sewage Water
C Lake Water
D Bore Hole
E Tap Water
7.0
6.4
6.7
7.9
8.2
18
720
80
35
30
CD=S2/X 0.14
{
525.64
CD = Coefficient of Dispersion
Table 2. Biomass Production (gm) of Water Hyacinth Grown in
Different Sources of Water
Treatment .
÷
.E
a) I
•
°°o
A. Distilled water
B. Sewage water
C. Lake water
D. Boreholewater
E. Tap water
9.8
10.2
9.7
10.4
10.1
232.4
636.9
561.7
289.7
341.
90
91
91
90
91
10
9
8.4
10
8.3
CD = S21x 0.008 82.25 0.001 0.08
133
Plant grown in sewage water showed
an increase in leaf and stalk length of 49%
and 39% respectively. Also, plant grown
in lake water exhibited a high increase
(40%) in stalk length from an initial length
of 16.6 cm to a final length of 27.7 cm.
The leaf length showed similar increase
from 5.4 cm to 7.4 cm (27%). Figures 1
and 2 show increases in stalk length and
leaf length, respectively.
However, the higher nutrient content
of the sewage water as shown by
conductivity level was responsible for the
higher growth responses of water hyacinth
than those observed in the rest of the
treatments. The observation agreed with
Brij (1984) maximum growth of water
hyacinth obtained in sewage water. Also,
Richards (1982) reported that water
hyacinth plant grown in distilled water
produced small leaves with inflated
petioles. However, sources of water did
not have any effect on the dry matter
content of either whole plant or its
component since the dry matter content of
any biological organisms is a distinct
natural characteristics of that organism.
Water was not limited at any time in the
culture media thus all plants had enough
water to satisfy their natural physiological
requirement and as such the dry matter
content remained relatively constant.
Table 2 shows that the dry matter
content of plant grown in distilled and
bore hole water samples had the highest
dry matter content of 10% each; followed
by sewage water (9%) but tap and lake
water samples had the least dry matter
contents of 8.3% and 8.4% respectively.
Analysis of coefficient of dispersion
indicated that there was no difference (CD
<1) in the dry matter content of the plants
grown in the different sources of water.
Table 3 shows the number of daughter
plants produced in the different
treatments. There was a significant
difference (CD > 1) in daughter plants
production by water hyacinth grown in the
different media.
Generally, weight gained and
vegetative reproduction of the water
media increased. Plants growing in
enriched water usually have sufficient
nutrients to grow and reproduce. On the
other hand, plant growing in nutrient poor
media (bore hole or distilled water) strife
to remain active and so utilizes the little
nutrients available for this purpose. Data
on vegetative reproduction, weight gained
and conductivity were further subjected to
regression analysis. Figure 3 shows the
scatter diagram of logjo values of the
conductivity versus the final weight of log
— transformed to control the variances.
There was a high, positive and significant
(p < 0.05) relationship between the
conductivity of the different water sources
and weight gained of the plant grown in
them (r 0.87).
134
35
30
-J
V) 25
U-0
20
15
10
Weeks
Fig. 1. Increase in stalk Length of wafer hyacinth plants grown in
different sources of water cwer 12 weeks.
KEY
A: DISTILLED WATER
B = SEWAGE WATER
C LAKE WATER
D BOREHOLE WATER
E TAP WAlER
135
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 w
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 W
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Table 3. Vegetative Reproduction of Water Hyacinth Grown in
Different Water Sources
Treatment No. of Daughter Plants at
Week 0
No. of Daughter Plants at
Week 12
A. Distilled water
B. Sewage water
C. Lake water
D. Bore hole water
E. Tap water
0
0
0
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28
23
15
17
CD=S2/X 0 1.82
There was also a similarly significant
relationship r 0.95 (p < 0.05) between
conductivity and vegetative reproduction
(Fig. 4). The relatively high mineral
content as indicated by the high
conductivity levels of sewage water
suggests high efficiency of nutrient
removal by water hyacinth. Thus water
hyacinth can be grown and periodically
harvested. Ideally, the harvested plant
materials could be utilized as food
supplement for cattle (Baldwin et al 1974)
and soil additive (Wolverton and
McDonald, 1976) for economic benefit.
CONCLUSION
The result of this study indicates that
sewage and lake water samples have the
required conductivity that support the
luxuriant growth and reproduction of
water hyacinth.
137
Generally, the highest growth
characteristic and reproduction of
daughter water hyacinth plant was
observed in sewage water, which was
followed by lake water. The biomass
produced from such a system like sewage
water, can be tremendous and potentially
serve as raw materials for improved
agriculture, wealth generation and
employment. The biomass produced can
be periodically harvested and utilized as
livestock feed, bio-fertilizer, mushroom
cultivation among others.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Authors sincerely acknowledge the
contribution of Dr. 1.0. Mbagwu who
painstakingly analysed the data. Also, the
Jnstitute management is acknowledged for
funding and allowing the publication of
the results.
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140



Effects of different sources of water on water hyacinth growth performance

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Effects of different sources of water on water hyacinth growth performance

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