Abstract:The performance and remediation potential of Chrysopogon aciculatus (Retz.) Trin. grown in nickel contaminated soil was assessed. Six contamination regimes of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mg Ni/kg soil and control were set up in three replicates each. Chrysopogon aciculatus established from tillers were allowed to grow six weeks before data collection started. Data were collected weekly on ground cover, chlorophyll index and concentrations, total carotenoids and yield at maturity. Soil Ni concentrations were determined at pre-plant and postharvest stages. Ground cover was not significantly different among the treatments. Ni contaminated treatments had the highest chlorophyll index at 10 and 12 weeks after planting. Chlorophyll a concentration was highest in 150 mg Ni/kg treatment (T 150 ) at 12 WAP. T 150 also had the least Chlorophyll b concentration at 12 WAP. T 200 and T 250 had low total carotenoids at 12 WAP. Dried shoot and root from T 300 had the highest Ni concentrations. Grass grown in T 200 accounted for the highest soil Ni uptake (% Ni remediated) with 96.4%. Soil Ni contents were reduced in all treatments. It is concluded that C. aciculatus can tolerate Ni contamination in soil and therefore can be used as a turf grass on Ni polluted soils.
This study was conducted to evaluate the growth response of three leafy vegetables (Celosia argentea, Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus hypochodriacus) to the leaf extract of Vitellaria paradoxa. Forty-five (45) experimental plastic containers were filled with 5 kg of loamy soil each and randomly allocated to the following regimes: control, 20 g, 40 g, 60 g and 80 g of powdered leaves of V. paradoxa, in three (3) replicates for each test crop respectively. It was observed that the response of the three leafy vegetables, grown within different composition of V. paradoxa leaves, are concentration dependent with respect to the studied growth parameters (plant height, leaf number, leaf area, stem girth). This indicated that V. paradoxa has allelopathic potential on the studied vegetables and therefore it could be used for natural weed control.
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