The study evaluated four soybean genotypes in 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons in the humid tropics for growth, seed yield and other reproductive characters. A split plot in randomised complete block design with four replications was used at National Cereals Research Institute, Amakanma sub-station, Abia State, Nigeria (latitude 05º 28´ N, longitude 07º 29´ E, 154.25 m asl). Sowing date was the main plot treatment while soybean genotypes were fitted into the subplots. Sowing date significantly affected soybean yield and yield components with the month of July pointing out as most appropriate sowing time for the crop in the humid tropics of southeast Nigeria. TGx1485-1D soybean genotype consistently exhibited high performance in seed yield and in most of the characters studied across both environments while TGx1987-10F had the least, hence can be tipped as good breeding material for development of high yielding soybean varieties that would have high adaptation to the agro-ecology. Correlation and path analysis revealed that number of pods plant-1 among other traits was the most important contributor to seed yield and demands close attention as selection index for crop improvement. TGx1485-1D though high yielding exhibited low yield stability across both environments in the GGE bi-plot ranking where it ranked closest to the ideal genotype, hence, can be recommended as suitable for cultivation in the humid tropics of southeast Nigeria. Also, the genotype could be exploited for future breeding programs aimed at boosting research in developing high yielding, adaptable, disease resistance and stable genotypes for the region.
The response of three cucumber varieties (Ashley, Betalpha, and marketmore) to different rates of fertilizer (NPK 15:15:15) application were evaluated in two seasons (early and late) under rain-fed conditions in 2011 cropping season. The experiment was laid out in a split-split-plot in randomized complete block design with three replications. Seasons, (early and late rains) constituted the main plots, while cucumber varieties were fitted into the sub-plots with NPK fertilizer rates into sub-sub-plots. The results revealed significant increase in fruit yield of cucumber during the early planting season under rain-fed conditions in the humid tropics. During both cropping seasons, the application of N:P:K 15:15:15 fertilizer increased fruit yield of cucumber significantly up to 120 kg/ha. However, further increase did not affect fruit yield, which implies that 120 kg/ha fertilizer rate is the optimum quantity required for increased cucumber fruit yield. The interaction between cucumber variety and planting season significantly induced higher fruit yield in market-more compared to the other varieties tested. Principal component analysis showed that PC1, PC2 and PC3 with eigen-vector value loads greater than unity accounted for the cumulative variance of 70%, which exhibited the degree of influence the plant characters had on fruit yield. Pearson correlation indicated a highly significant (P<0.01) and positive correlation between fruit yield and weight of fruit (0.574**) as well as number of fruits per plant (0.574**). Cause and effect analysis revealed that maximum direct effect on fruit yield of cucumber was achieved through fruit weight (0.565) and number of fruits per plant (0.457). This implies that in selection for high yields, premium should be placed on these characters.
Four cowpea varieties (Brown beans, Oloka beans, IAR48 and IT89KD-288) were toasted at 105 °C, and used to study the effect of dry heat treatment on the cooking time and nutrient composition of cowpea seeds and also its effect on the functional properties of resultant flour of the cowpea seed varieties. Toasting reduced the cooking time for brown and oloka cowpea varieties from 55.00–31.00 and 70.67–51.67 min, respectively. The cooking time for IAR48 and IT89KD-288 cowpea varieties increased from 104.67 to 106.00 and 88.00 to 88.67 min, respectively. The results indicate that the cooking time of cowpea seeds can be reduced significantly on toasting, while maintaining their potential as functional agents in the food industry for nutrition and utilisation. Correlation between the amount of water imbibed by cowpea seeds and their cooking time was -0.74, but was not significant at p ≤ 0.05, suggesting that there is no significant relationship between the amount of water imbibed by cowpea seeds and their cooking time.
Five ‘Sunrise Solo’ cultivars of Pawpaw Carica papaya morphotypes were selected based on fruit shape and pulp color and their seeds sown in three different media namely Saw dust, rice husk, and top soil at the green house of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria to determine their emergence percentage and seedling growth attributes. The experiment was set up as a factorial in completely randomized block design. Highly significant differences (P <0.01) was observed for seedling emergence and seedling growth attributes studied. The result showed that top soil is a better medium for pawpaw nursery when compared to rice husk and saw dust. Genetic component analysis showed that most of the traits had more genetic than non-genetic factors that contributed to the variability observed for most of the traits. This was further validated by some of the traits having high heritability in the broad sense and genetic advance indicating that selection cause effective at the seedling levels for such traits.
Field experiments were conducted during the 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons at the National Horticultural Research Institute, Okigwe, Nigeria, to determine the effect of liming on the yield, yield components and weeds of six medium maturing soybean genotypes (TGX 1844-18E, TGX 1448-2E, TGX 1444-1E, TGX 1740-1E, TGX 1440-1E and TGX 923-2E). In each year, the experiment was laid out as a split-plot in a randomized complete block design using three replications. Five lime rates of 0, 0.45, 0.90, 1.35, 1.80 and 2.25 t/ha were the main plots while the soybean genotypes were the subplots. In both years, seed yield differed significantly among the genotypes. Liming had significant effect on seed yield in 2006 but not in 2007 while the interaction between lime rate and soybean genotypes was significant only in 2006. Seed yield tends to increase in 2006 as lime rates increases. The inconsistency in seed yield in both years was attributed to the rainfall pattern which was higher in 2007 than 2006. Significant genotypic effect was also observed for the yield components while liming had no significant effect on weed density and biomass in both years. This study has shown that farmers could obtain better yield and improve soybean production by planting TGS 1834-18E and TGX 1444-1E and apply lime at the rate of 0.9t/ha.
of Agriculture Umudike to investigate the germination ability of eleven accessions of African yam bean seeds in spent engine oil (SEO).The experiment was laid out in Complete Randomized Design (CRD).Seeds of the eleven accession of African yam bean were presoaked in water for 24hours and thereafter soaked in spent engine oil for varying hours 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 hours.The seeds were placed in Petri dish lined with moist tissue paper.The result obtained showed that the germination percentage, days to germination and rate of germination of the AYB accessions were time and accession dependent.The germination ability of seeds decreased as number of hours soaked in spent engine oil increased.AYB-11, AYB-04, AYB-03 and AYB-07 were more tolerant to oil among the African yam bean accessions studied hence could be considered to be used to boost food security in oil producing areas of the Niger Delta.
Intercropping fruit vegetable crops with legumes may influence performance of component crops and improve residual nitrogen contribution to the cropping system. Eggplant (Solanum spp.) genotypes whose fruit and leaves are a good source of income and provide essential vitamins and minerals for good health were intercropped with vegetable Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp ssp. sesquipedalis) in 2 years. Eggplant was monocropped using genotypes ‘Ex-Lantan’, Solanum macrocarpon L., S. melogena L, S. aethiopicum L. (mikky mikky-Gilo), ‘Nsukka green’, and ‘Nsukka white’. A semiprostrate vegetable cowpea was grown in monocrop and the crops were intercropped. Eggplant fruit yield, pod yield of cowpea, and interrelationships between yield characters, as well as the biological and economic productivity of the system, were studied. Intercropping eggplant with cowpea produced a high degree of complementarity. The mono- and intercropped eggplant genotypes exhibited wide genotypic variation. On average over two cropping seasons, ‘Nsukka green’/cowpea intercrop followed by ‘Nsukka white’/cowpea intercrop had the highest total land equivalent ratio (LER; 1.78) and land equivalent coefficient (0.79) compared to other mixes. The ‘Ex-Lantan’/cowpea intercrop had the highest mean gross monetary and net returns (NR); the S. melogena/cowpea intercrop produced the highest total cost of production (TCP) among intercrops; the highest benefit–cost ratio (BCR) was for monocropped S. macrocarpon. Among intercrops, the BCR of S. macrocarpon/cowpea mix was highest compared to ‘Ex-Lantan’, S. melongena, S. aethiopicum, ‘Nsukka green’, and ‘Nsukka white’, at 0.57%, 21.58%, 33.46%, 26.30%, and 19.89%, respectively. There was a positive but weak linear relationship between LER and NR and between LER and BCR. Intercropping eggplant with cowpea enhances productivity and financial return.
Seven promising vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata(L.) Walp)genotypes were evaluated at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria (05°29´N, 07°33´E, 122 masl) in 2011 early and late cropping seasons using split plot in randomized complete block design with four replications. Planting season constituted the main plot while vegetable cowpea genotypes were assigned into the sub-plots. The objectives of the study was to evaluate the growth, yield and yield components of seven vegetables cowpea genotypes as influenced by planting seasons in the humid tropics of south eastern Nigeria. The results revealed that planting season significantly (P IT98K-131-1>Akidi-ani>IT03K-324-9>Akidi-enu>IT98K-692>IT99K-377-1. Among the cowpea genotypes evaluated in the study, IT99K-377-1, IT98K-692 and Akidi-enu gave significant pod yields that were higher by 30.46%, 28.86% and 22.38%, respectively compared to the lowest pod yielding genotype (IIT04K-339-1). These promising high yielding genotypes can be evaluated on-farm for farmers’ benefits as well as to enhance food security and improve the protein intake of people living in sub-Sahara Africa.
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