The application of organic fertilizers has significant effect on the growth and biochemical performance of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. The growth response such as seed germination, seedling vigour index, shoot length, root length and plant fresh and dry weight were significantly increased with plants amended with organic fertilizers. The response was varied with respect to fertilizers. The organic fertilizers amendment greatly affected the all growth characters of Okra compared to control plants. There was a significant difference was observed in the rate of seed germination and the rate germination index in the plants treatment with vermicompost followed by farmyard manure. The soil amended with vermicompost had a significant effect on the shoot as well as root length. Likewise, the biochemical characters such as total chlorophyll, protein, glucose, ascorbic acid content and NR activity were significantly increased in the plants amended with organic fertilizers over the control plants.

A field trail was conducted at the Botanical garden of department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria to assess the insecticidal effect of aqueous leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica, Ocimum gratisimum and Vernonia amygdalina on insect field pests of Amaranthus hybridus. The experimental design was randomized complete block with three replicates. Aqueous leaf extracts of the powdered samples of these plants were uniformly sprayed on the experimental material at 30 g/l twice weekly from 10 to 38 days after sowing. A. hybridus plants sprayed with aqueous leaf extracts of the different plants had lower percentage leaf and leaf area damage compared to the control. Percentage leaf damage followed this order: A. indica < V. amygdalina < O. gratisimum < control, with percentages leaf damage of 25-27%, 34-46%, 32-49% and 47-73%, respectively. Percent leaf area damage were 18.6%, 31%, 45.8% and 61.2% for A. indica, O. gratisimum, V. amygdalina and control, respectively. Significantly (P<0.05) higher plant height, root length and dry matter production were obtained in plants sprayed with aqueous leaf extract of A. indica in contrast to the other treatments, which had comparable values with the control. The results indicate that A. indica if properly harnessed can be used as a biopesticide in the control of insect field pest of A. indica .

Aim: To evaluate the growth and yield responses of cocoyam to different rates of application of cow dung and rice husk. Study Design: 2 x 4 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design replicated three times.

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Agro-wastes are abundant in both rural and urban areas and when carelessly disposed off to the environment by dumping or burning, they lead to environmental pollution, and consequently to health hazards. Growing of edible mushroom on these wastes can contribute to decrease in environment pollution. This work investigated the growth and yield of Pleurotus ostreatus on different agro-wastes: plantain midrib (PM), corn straw (CS), sugarcane bagasse (SB) and their combinations (PM+CS, PM+SB, CS+SB, CS+PM+SB) with a view to finding the best substrate for the growth of P. ostreatus. The experiment was carried out using completely randomized design with seven treatments and three replications. Results revealed that mycelia growth period and days to pinhead formation were faster in corn straw (7 and 11 days, respectively from the day of inoculation), this was followed by CS+SB (8 and 12 days, respectively) while CS+PM+SB recorded the longest days (13 and 17, respectively). Stipe length ranged from 2.6 cm in PM to 3.3 cm in CS+PM while the pileus diameter was between 3.3 cm in CS and PM and 4.3 cm in PM+SB. Number of fruiting bodies, fresh and dry weights of the mushroom were significantly higher in CS than in the other substrates. The least number of fruiting bodies, fresh and dry weights were recorded in CS+PM+SB.

The effects of pre-milling heat treatment types on the functional properties of the resultant flour blends of some indigenous thickening seeds and cocoyam (ede-ocha) at various percentages were examined. Flours of indigenous thickening seeds of achi, ofo and ukpo, and that of cocoyam were used in this work. Functional analyses showed that the blend type of ofo-cocoyam flour had better swelling index (SI) (3.28±0.28) and water absorption capacity (WAC) (5.10±1.77ml/g) than that of ukpo-cocoyam; ukpo-cocoyam blend exhibited better oil absorption capacity (OAC) (1.41±0.21ml/g), though not significantly higher than ofo-cocoyam and achi-cocoyam (p≤0.05). Among treatment types, flour of boiled sample had better SI (3.35±0.60) and WAC (4.56±1.58ml/g) than that of the roasted sample which gave better OAC (1.45±0.33ml/g) that was statistically equal to boiled blend (1.39±0.23ml/g), steamed blend (1.26±0.27ml/g) and raw blend (1.44±0.29ml/g). Among blending ratios, 25% cocoyam (CY) flour blend had significantly higher WAC (5.07±0.62ml/g) than the control and other blends, with SI of 3.06±0.59 which statistically equal to the 75% cocoyam flour blend (3.12±0.53). The boiled sample exhibited better functional properties than others; such that ofo-CY exhibited better functional properties than other blends types as the 25% CY flour sample exhibited better functional properties than other blend ratio samples. Further work should be directed to investigate this experiment with another species of cocoyam to check whether remarkable improvements can be obtained in the characteristics of the resultant flour blend with achi, ofo, ukpo.

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