ABSTRACT:Moringa oleifera is cultivated all over the world as it is commonly used as nutritional and medicinal plant. This study was carried out to determine the effect of various locations in Ejigbo and Egbedore Local Government Areas, (LGA) in Osun State and Surulere LGA in Oyo State on the nutritional compositions of Moringa oleifera leaves. Fresh leaves of Moringa oleifera were harvested from moringa trees growing at sixteen different locations in Ejigbo and Egbedore LGAs. The analysis of the study was then based on four principal locations namely Ara tagged S1, Igbon tagged S2, Ejigbo tagged S3 and Oko tagged S4. The leaves were oven dried and their proximate contents were determined using standard analytical techniques. Ash, moisture, crude fat, crude fibre, carbohydrate and protein contents were determined according to conventional method. The results of proximate analysis revealed significant difference between different locations and the ash, moisture, crude fat, crude fibre, carbohydrate contents but there was no significance recorded for crude protein at different locations Moreover, the highest level of crude fat (11.83%); crude fibre (12.42%); ash content (12.4%) and carbohydrate (49.9%) were recorded in Ara. The significant negative and positive associations recorded between the nutritional components and different locations revealed the extents of the influence of soil characteristics on the moringa leaves at these locations. Therefore, soil factors should be considered by farmers in the planning the establishment of moringa plantation. © JASEM https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v21i2.14

Soil degradation and desertification pose a major threat to agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa. The influence of cropping systems which had been established on selected physical and chemical properties of soil were investigated in Akinyode-Okinni community in Egbedore Local Government Area (LGA) of Osun State, Nigeria. The cropping systems included agri-silviculture (SCM), silvi-pasture (SPC), agri-horti-silviculture (PAH) and agroforestry (AFT) selected from existing farms in the community. The selected plots had cocoa (Theobroma cacao), oil palm (Elais guineensis) and kolanut (Kola nitida) as permanent crops; coco-yam (Coco nucifera), guinea grass (Panicum maximum), plantain (Musa spp), maize (Zea mays), and cassava (Manihot utilissima) were the annual crops. The experiment was carried out for two cropping seasons. Results showed that in the AFT system, bulk density (BD) decreased slightly from 1.22 to 1.16 g/cm 3 in the top soil and from 1.18 to 1.09 g/cm 3 in the subsoil after two cropping seasons. The pH varied between 6.40 and 7.05 in the first season and between 7.05 and 7.29 after two seasons. On average, the topsoil contained more organic carbon (OC) in SPC (38 g kg -1 ) and SCM (36 g kg -1 ) systems than in the PAH and AFT systems. Similarly, the total phosphorus content was higher in the topsoil of SPC and SCM systems than in the other systems. There was a slight reduction in soil acidity and no significant changes occurred in the concentrations of exchangeable bases after two cropping seasons. Conclusively, these cropping systems have the potential to reduce soil deterioration and thus; further studies to develop appropriate management strategies are necessary.

Lateritic soils are found in many farms even though they have not been known to be encouragingly productive to farmers because of their non-supportive of agricultural products. This experiment was to help farmers whose lands are lateritic to produce more crops/ha when buffered with organic manure. There were six treatments namely: laterite soil, laterite soil buffered with organic manure, laterite soil buffered with NPK 15-15-15, sandy loam soil, sandy loam soil buffered with organic manure (OM) and sandy loam soil buffered with NPK 15-15-15. There were three replicates for each treatments, the arrangement was 2 × 6 × 3 factorial design of 36 pots, parameters measured during the experiment were days to emergency, days to flowering, days to fruiting, number of branches, number of fruits per plant, nodes and internodes, stem girth length, leaf length of plant, plant height (from the surface of the soil to the apex (tip) of the plant) at twice a week and number of leaves per plant counted and recorded each week. The whole arrangements were subjected to the same environmental and climatic conditions. Chemical and physical characteristics of the soil in different treatments were done in the laboratory before and after. The data collected were subjected to two-way ANOVA. The results revealed that seed germination percentage was higher in sandy-loam buffered soil, 92.5%, followed by lateritic buffered soil 87.5%. Statistical analysis showed statistical differences among the yield and yield parameters for types of soil. However, the growth parameters taken as height, number of leaves, fresh and dry weight were found to be higher in sandy-loam soil followed by laterite soil and finally alluvium soil. Statistical analysis of these also showed significant differences between the types of soil used. Laterite buffered soil could yield as high as sandy loam soil in the production of tomatoes.

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The purpose of this research was to investigate does weights' performances during and at postgestation periods at different building systems. Factors considered in the study were building orientations, BO, (45º and 90º to prevailing wind directions), ventilation openings, VO, (20, 40, 60 and 80% side openings) and different seasons of a year (dry and rainy seasons). The experimental set up was a 2 × 4 factorial design with a doe each in a pen (n=32). The control experiment building had 100% side opening with four does (n=4), each in a pen. Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) values, effectiveness of openings and airflow rates were computed in different pens. The weights' gains and losses were evaluated for does during and during post-gestation at different seasons and parities. The results showed that each of the pair of openings in an orientation was dissimilar to the other one in the other orientation in the same season (26.87±0.36, 27.09±0.43 respectively in dry and rainy seasons for 20% in first week). There were different airflow rates in different pens (3.975±0.03, 3.098±0.36 m 3 /s for 90º orientation; 2.671±0.01 and 2.595±0.14 m 3 /s respectively for 60 and 80% at 90º orientation) as a result of different openings' effectiveness. Weight gains in does during and at post-gestation at different ventilation openings and orientations were affected by Original Research Article seasons. Ventilation opening 80% at 90º orientation had average of 0.061 kg/day weight increase per doe with lesser weight profile fluctuations and could be adjudged the best combination to rearing does.