The experimental aspect of the corrosion inhibition potentials of Boscia senegalensis was carried out using gravimetric and linear polarization techniques techniques as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), whereas the theoretical aspect was done by using the Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to performed and model the electronic structures of some extract constituents, including Physiosorptive interactions with the Fe surface. The analyses of the experimental results showed that the inhibition efficiency increased with increase in concentration of the inhibitor and decreased with increase in temperature. The efficiency of the extract in HCl (70%). Thermodynamic parameters revealed that the adsorption of extract onto the metal surface was spontaneous, exothermic and supported the Physical adsorption process. FTIR results showed that the inhibition mechanism was by absorption process, through the functional groups present in the extract and that of the inhibited. Surface morphology also revealed that corrosion product confirmed the protection offered by the extract on the surface of the metal immersed in the acid media. The data obtained were fitted into various adsorption isotherms though the Freundlich isotherm was found to be best fit.

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License This study determines the impact of agroforestry practices on food production, income generation and poverty reduction among farming households in Oyo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Both descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages as well as inferential statistics such as Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Foster Greer Thorbecke (FGT) analysis were used in the study. It was discovered that the propensity score distribution and common support for propensity score estimation shows the results from the covariate balancing tests both before and after matching in which the treatment (adopters) and comparison (non-adopters) groups are said to be balanced. The result of the impact of the adoption of agroforestry practices on farmers' income from the PSM analysis shows that the adoption produces a positive and significant impact on the farmers' income, while the result of the impact of the adoption on farmers' output was found to be negative, though not significant. This could be attributed to improper adoption or practices of the technologies by the farmers. It was also discovered that about 27% of the adopters fell below the poverty line ($183.25) and were therefore regarded as poor while about 67% of the non-adopters fell below the poverty line ($102.21) and can therefore be described as poor. FGT poverty index was then used to show the extent of poverty among the farming households and it was found that the adopters of agroforestry technology were faring better than the non-adopters of agroforestry technology.

No abstract

This study examined the marketing of Irvingia kernels in selected markets in Akure. Data were collected through primary and secondary sources. One hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were administered to Irvingia kernel sellers in six selected markets in the area. Thirty-one(31) of the questionnaires were administered to traders in Oja-Oba while 24, 20, 20, 14 and 11 were administered in NEPA, Isikan, Maronu, Isolo and Oluwatuyi markets respectively. The results showed that 70% of the traders were female while male accounted for 30%. The results also revealed that cost price of Irvingia kernels and the transport cost were the main determinants of the selling of the product. The level of involvement of the sellers, though had a positive relationship with the selling price, was not significant in determining the selling price because its coefficient, unlike those of cost price and transport cost, was not significant at 5% level. Also the average gross margin per marketer was put at N7, 802.34K, implying that the marketing of the product in the study area was profitable.

The speciation of toxic metals of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Ni and As in Kwanar – Doya Shooting site of the Nigerian Army, Military Training, Base Camp, Kachia, Kaduna State, Nigeria was investigated. The soil physico-chemical parameters, total metal content and sequential extraction methods were determined in duplicates using standard methods. The pH ranged from 3.93–4.51, showing the high acidity of the soil and electro -conductivity gave a mean value of 0.11 ms / cm showing the poor nutrient value of the soil). While the mean total metals values were Zinc: 28.94 mg/kg, Nickel: 13.45mg/kg, Manganese: 78: 12 mg/kg, Lead: 40.6 mg/kg, Arsenic: 305 mg/kg, Chromium: 49.32 mg/kg, Cobalt: 162:50 mg/kg and copper: 7.3 mg/kg. All the metals were above the W.H.O permissible limit for toxic metals in soils except Zinc and Nickel. The sequential partitioning and distribution and variation of toxic metals in the various fractions of the Nigerian Defence Academy Shooting Range soil were in the following order: Cobalt: Residual > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Organic > Fe – Mn Oxide Arsenic: Fe – Mn Oxide > Bound to carbonate > Residual > Organic > Chromium: Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Fe – Mn Oxide > Organic > Residual. Nickel: Fe – Mn Oxide > Exchangeable > Bound to carbonate > Residual > Organic. Manganese: Residual > Fe – Mn Oxide > Bound to carbonate > Organic > Exchangeable. Lead: Residual > Organic > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Fe – Mn Oxide. Zinc: Fe – Mn Oxide > Residual > Organic > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable. Copper: Residual > Fe – Mn Oxide > Exchangeable > Bound to carbonate > Organic. The Toxic metals speciation of the soil samples indicate that the toxic metals were predominately in the non-residual fractions suggestive of input by anthropogenic sources and human activities due to military exercise and are readily available for plant uptake. This could pose serious health risk to the military personnel using the training period. Thus phyto-remediation technique which is cheap and non-destructive is recommended to be applied to remedy the affected toxic metals in the soil for its continual use as a military training ground and also preserve the soil fertility for continued agricultural use of the area when there is no military operation.