Online: ISSN 2784 – 0360 | ISSN – L 2784 – 0360 | Print: ISSN 2784 – 0379 ISSN-L 2784 – 0360

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Eifediyi E.K.

Soil phosphorus dynamics of sweet potato-based cropping system in a rainforest region of Nigeria

Mar 6, 2020 |

I. Kareem, E.A. Akinrinde, Y. Oladosu, S.Y. Abdulmaliq, E.K. Eifediyi, S.Y. Alasinrin, S.A. Kareem

ABSTRACT. To guard against soil phosphorus (P) toxicity in tuber production and have optimum tuber yield at lesser cost of P-fertilization, better understanding of the dynamics of phosphorus release in sandy loamy soil is inevitable. Therefore, this work was carried out to investigate the trend of P-release from time of application to its optimum release and its effect on sweet potato growth and tuber production. To achieve this, a 5-week incubation study under laboratory conditions was carried out to study P-release dynamics using different P sources. Similar experiment was conducted on the field using the same P sources and application rate to monitor the influence P-release rate on sweet potato production. Data on number of leaves, vine length, tuber yield, soil extractable phosphorus and phosphorus uptake of the plants were taken. Relationships between P-uptake and tuber yield, number of leaves, vine length were also established. It was found that the trend of phosphorus release was a sigmoid shape. Leaf production and vine length were improved by P-application, while yield was suppressed. It is recommended that P-fertilizer should not be applied to the soil at short intervals to avoid nutrient toxicity.

Keywords: incubation; phosphorus sources; phosphorus uptake; P-release dynamics; tuber yield.

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Performance of sesame (Sesamum Indicum L.) as influenced by 2,4 – dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and NPK fertilizer

Oct 3, 2019 |

E.K. Eifediyi, F.O. Ogedegbe, N.B. Izuogu, C.A. Adedokun, A. Katibi, S.U. Remison

ABSTRACT. The Guinea savannah zone of Nigeria is beset by increasing population and infrastructural develop-ment, thereby putting pressure on available land with rapidly declining fertility due to low organic matter content, soil erosion, high temperature and seaso-nal bush burning. Sesame is cultivated in this zone and the yield has remained very low, compared to yield in other parts of the world. This could be attributed to poor nutrient status and poor cultural practices used by peasant farmers. A field experi-ment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Ilorin, Nigeria, in a southern Guinea savannah zone in 2015 and repeated in 2016 crop-ping season to determine the effects of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a plant growth regulator and NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield of sesame. The experiment was laid out as a factorial arrangement, fitted into a randomized complete block design replicated thrice. The factors imposed were 2,4-D (0, 5 and 10 ppm ha-1) and NPK 15:15:15 (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1). Data were collected on vegetative traits (plant height, number of leaves, leaf area) and yield components (number of capsules per plant; yield per plant and per hectare). The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the Genstat statistical package 17th edition and significant means were separated by using the least significant difference at 5% level of probability. The result revealed that using plant growth regulator and NPK fertilizer had significant effects (p<0.05) on plant height (151 cm) and yield per hectare (530 kg/ha). The qualitative and quanti-tative analysis of the seeds further reaffirmed the presence of bioactive compounds, such as saponins, tannins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which are important health promoting food in the seeds. Keywords: plant growth regulator (PGR); NPK fertilizer; growth; yield; sesame.

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© by the authors; licensee Journal of Applied Life Sciences and Environment, Iasi, Romania. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)