Plant Science and Biotechnology

Salinity remains a threat to agricultural crop productions, especially in cowpea production in many parts of the world. This research work was conducted to evaluate the impact of salt on germination, growth and yield performance of cowpea in Mubi, Nigeria. Different NaCl concentrations (0.25, 1.0, 2.0 and 2.50g/L) were tested on the parameters as experimental treatments, while the control contained only water without any NaCl additive. Data were collected on germination, growth and yield performance of cowpea under the salt stress, and were subjected to One-way analysis of variance, and the treatment means were compared using Duncan's New Multiple Range (DMR) Test at 5% (P>0.05) level of significance. The results obtained showed that the germination of cowpea seeds, growth and yield were highly affected by salinity at all levels of treatments when compared with the control. In conclusion, therefore, the results further confirmed the deterrent of salinity to cowpea production especially in Mubi, Nigeria.

The study investigated the improvement in soil quality of soil collected from an auto mechanic workshop that had been polluted with spent carbide and spent engine oil waste (SEOW) after amendment with digestate from biofuel production. The remediated soil was later phytoassessed by using germination and growth parameters of Telfaria occidentalis (pumpkin) as yardstick. The physico-chemical properties, heavy metal content and total hydrocarbon content (THC) of the soil were also investigated. The soil was polluted with SEOW of 5%w/w and four different levels of spent calcium carbide treatment of 0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 10.0% w/w. One set was amended with digestate (+D) while the other set was unamended (ND). The result obtained showed that soil pH increased from 7.10 at the start of the experiment to 9.35 -11.2 three months later when soil was subjected to experimental conditions. Also significantly increased were the soil's electric conductivity from (420 to 680 µS/cm) and potassium content (0.51 -1.09 meq/100g). There was significant reductions in all the heavy metals sampled 3 months after exposure to the experimental conditions. Higher concentrations of spent carbide in the soils implied lower remediation of heavy metals and total hydrocarbons. Phytoassessment with T. occidentalis shows that generally, the plant in 10% carbide amended-oil polluted soil (digestate amended) did not survive, whereas those ones in the non-amended soil (10 %C, ND) survived. Plant height in 10 %C (ND) was 48.8 cm and a yield of 33 leaves per plant, compared to the control (0 %C, ND) which height and number of leaves were 41.5 cm and 50 leaves respectively. There were no significant differences between plants parameters in polluted soils of similar carbide concentration irrespective of whether or not the soils were eventually substrate amended with digestate.

The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus is one of the major pests infesting stored pulse and is distributed worldwide. The efficacy of different dosage of botanical oils for the control of C. maculatus in a stored grain (cowpea) was evaluated in Yola, Adamawa state Nigeria. Laboratory experiments were conducted on cowpea grain by treating them with five different botanical oils (Olive oil, Groundnut oil, Soya bean oil, Khaya ivorensis oil and Neem oil) for the protection of stored cowpea against C. maculatus. Cowpea used for the experiment were subjected to different oil treatments applied at different concentrations (0.5 ml, 1.0 ml, and 1.5 ml ) per 10 grams of cowpea seeds. Randomized Complete Block Design was used and the treatments were replicated three times. Mortality counts were carried out across 24, 48 and 72 hours after treatment as well as oviposition after 14 days of exposure. The result obtained showed that all the botanical oils showed some promising effects on the mortality as well as the oviposition deterrent on adult C. maculatus (especially at 1.0 ml and 1.5 ml) when compared with the control experiment. This study demonstrates that plant oils can play an important role in protecting cowpea from insect's invasion during storage.

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the red flour beetle, is an important cosmopolitan pest of stored grains. Three ratios of male to female (3:7, 7:3 and 5:5) were reared on four flours, viz: millet, maize, sorghum and wheat, and the experiment which based on the various life stages were noted for larval development, pupal and adult. The results showed significant difference (P<0.05) between the maize grains and the other grains in larval, pupal and adult development of T. castaneum with different sex ratios. Thus the preparation and storage of ready to use flour, especially maize, for prolonged periods, should be de-emphasized amongst farmers, food handlers and households in Nigeria and Africa where facilities to keep abate T. castaneum are not available.

he effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) application on the growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under drought conditions were studied. Foliar application of IAA at different concentrations of 50ppm and 100ppm at ten days interval was applied from the 14 th day after planting (14 DAP) under two watering regimes of watering on alternate days (WAD) and watering once in ten days (10WOTD). Plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, chlorophyll content, number of leaves and fruits significantly decreased under ten days watering regimes compared to the control plants which were watered on alternate days. Thus drought negatively affected the growth and biochemical properties of the plant. However, with the application of IAA the adverse effects of drought noted in the present study were reversed and as a result, the plants exhibited better vigor than the control plants.

The result of this study showed that the growth performance of the two varieties of amaranth were greatly reduced, in terms of number of leaves per plant in the saline treated plant exposed to the highest saline concentration compared to the control. Amaranthus cruentus had more number of leaves (6.63) than Amaranthus hybridus (5.67) and Amaranthus hybridus had higher survival rate than Amranthus cruentus(1.83). Although both test plant varieties responded to varying saline concentrations in various ways, both tends to show similar responds. Also, the number of days to germination increases with increased salinity concentrations the two amaranth varieties was both adversely affected by higher saline concentrations, where increased salinity concentrations caused reduction in shoot length Also, the  leave breadth was better in the control and the plants with lower amounts of NaCl concentration(0.025 and 0.05), this implies that Amaranthus hybridus and Amaranthus cruenthus tolerate moderate salinity levels, while the plants with higher salinity concentrations (0.075,0.01,0.15) had leave breadth that were small, and eventually died because of high amounts of salt.

he effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) application on the growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under drought conditions were studied. Foliar application of IAA at different concentrations of 50ppm and 100ppm at ten days interval was applied from the 14 th day after planting (14 DAP) under two watering regimes of watering on alternate days (WAD) and watering once in ten days (10WOTD). Plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, chlorophyll content, number of leaves and fruits significantly decreased under ten days watering regimes compared to the control plants which were watered on alternate days. Thus drought negatively affected the growth and biochemical properties of the plant. However, with the application of IAA the adverse effects of drought noted in the present study were reversed and as a result, the plants exhibited better vigor than the control plants.

Mshelmbula, B.P. et al. (2017). Studies on four cultivars of groundnut (Arachis hypogeae) grown in Mubi, Adamawa State of Nigeria. 12(1):1-4. Studies on four cultivars of groundnut (Arachis hypogeae) grown in Mubi, Adamawa State of Nigeria. Abstract The choice of Groundnut (Arachis hypogeae.) cultivar suitable for cultivation for either commercial, protein requirements or other reasons is very crucial. This research work was conducted to evaluate the cultivar performance for different purposes. Different cultivars of Groundnut were cultivated and data were collected on number of pod per cultivar, wet weight of pod and crude protein content. They were subjected to mean and standard deviation. Results showed that highest pods were found in Gargajiya (860) while lowest number of pod was obtained in Amariya (116), Kampala had the highest mean plant height of 18.22cm while amarya recorded the least (16.82cm). Amarya and Gargajiya had the highest dry pod weight (5.8 and 5.7) respectively while Sebia recorded the least (3.3). Kampala had the least crude protein content among the cultivars (28.68%). Amarya and Sabiya recorded 31.56% and 30.70% crude protein respectively while Gargajiya cultivar had the highest crude protein content of 33.47%.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different UV exposure time on the germination and early seedling growth of cowpea in order to ascertain the exposure time that affects these developmental stages of plant. The study was laid out in a randomized complete block design of six exposure times including control as treatments with five replicates. Growth parameters of cowpea such as plant height stem girth and number of leaves was determined daily after germination has taken place. All the cowpea seeds in all the treatments exhibited 100% germination at the end of the 9 th day. It was observed that the UV irradiation never had any significant negative effect on any of the growth parameters compared with control. This could be due to the short period of exposure or the resistance of the cowpea plant to UV irradiation.

In 2017 and 2018 cropping season, field experiment was conducted at the Food and Agricultural Organization and Tree Crop Plantation, Department of Crop Science, Adamawa State University, Mubi using fifteen genotypes of West African okra. The study was undertaken to study the emergence rate of seedlings from hard okra seed coats, seedling growth and their development. The seeds of the genotypes were soaked in NaCl solution for 24 hours to accelerate the breaking of seed dormancy and to ease seed germination. Tough seed coat usually impairs seed germination by establishing a permeability barrier which can interrupt water uptake required for imbibition, radicle and seedling emergence. The combined analysis results revealed a highly significant (P≤0.01) difference among these genotypes with respect to days to first and 50% flowering including days to first harvest. Furthermore, accession 3 (NG/SA/DEC/07/0448) and accession 11 (Yar kwadon) flowered earlier, had shortest days to first harvest, recorded the highest number of seedlings and emergence percentage than the other genotypes studied. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterrenea (L.) Verde) is an important source of affordable proteins from a vegetable legume in sub-Saharan Africa. Although, the percentage content of amino acids found does not meet the standard recommendation specified by FAO/WHO due to the limited amount of tryptophan. Protein intakes are essential to satisfy the metabolic needs of amino acids and nitrogen balance in humans. The ability of bambara groundnut to survive and grow under harsh environmental conditions has an under turn specific adaptive traits which includes morphological and physiological adaptions. Salinity toxicity is one of the major limiting factors in crop production worldwide. The deleterious effect of saline toxicity depends on the type of plant species. Therefore, here in this study, various concentrations of saline toxicity solutions of 0.25g/l, 1.0g/l, 2.0g/l and 2.5g/l were evaluated in relation to the growth performance of Bambara groundnut. For example, there were as least as 20 leaves in S1L1, compared to S1L5 which had as much as 138 leaves per plant. The toxicity can either be due to Na + or Clion which can rapidly build up in the cytoplasm and inhibits enzyme activity or the build-up in the cell walls and dehydrate the cell.

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are natural hormones found in plant or their synthetic hormone analogues. Auxin, a type of PGRs that consist of low molecular weight organic phytohormones which influences cell division, plant growth and development. One of the common auxin types is indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and was the first plant growth regulator to be discovered with characteristics that involved in the control of various plant growth and development.Auxins can be absorbed in tissues and transport to long distances throughout vascular tissueof a plant. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence ofIAA on the treated seeds of cowpea (VignaunguiculataL.Walp) accession TVu-7, TVu-9 and TVu-1945to 50 % seed germination, seedling growth and development, and leaf chlorophyll content.The various IAA concentration used were 0mg/L, 250mg/L, 500mg/L 750mg/L and 1000mg/L. The results of this study showed the relative effect of various concentrations of IAA on seed germination, vegetative structure produced and leaf chlorophyll content. For example, increased IAA concentrations of 1000mg/L further extend the number of days to attend 50 % seed germination in the different cowpea accessions. Also, an increased concentration to 1000mg/L significantly increased the leaf chlorophyll content in the different cowpea accessions.