Crop science

The need to identify candidate gene for resis tance to powdery mildew (PM), a major fungal foliar disease of cowpea in Southern guinea savannah of Nigeria has necessitated this research. An experiment involving 13 cowpea genotypes was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) of two replications at the Botanical Garden, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Each genotype was scored for susceptibility to the disease. Four parents were afterward selected for progeny generation through a 2 x 2 factorial mating design. The F 1 hybrids were evaluated in RCBD of two replications on the field for powdery mildew resis tance. The scored data was transformed by arcsine method before subjection to analysis in SAS (version, 9.3). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant (P<0.01) differences among the 13 genotypes in their susceptibility to PM. The male, female and the interaction of both significantly (P<0.001) differed. Additive genetic variance (510.07) was higher...

Understanding the intra-specific variability within a species is preliminary to any genetic improvement of the crop. Thirty (30) African yam bean (AYB) accessions were tried in four locations in Nigeria. Resultant seed lots from harvest per location and per replication were evaluated in the study. The genetic variability, distance and the clustering of the 30 accessions were based on twelve seed size estimates. Accession and location significantly (P≤0.05) differed with respect to the twelve characters. Among other characters however, the interaction: Accession (Acc.) x Location (Loc.) was not significant for circumference and geometric mean diameter of the seed. The variance proportion due to location alone was significantly (P<0.0001) the highest; ranging from 41.6% to 78.9%. The variance due to accession (11.2 - 33.2%) was significantly (P<0.001) higher than that of Acc. x Loc. (4.8 - 15.4%). The contribution of Acc. x Loc. and the experimental error to the total variation ...

Banana/plantain fruit waste (PFW), sawdust (SD ), poultry manure (PM) and topsoil (TS) were utilized in the formulation of nursery media. Five nursery media including PFW:SD:PM (2:2:2), PFW:SD (3:3), SD:PM (3:3), TS:PM (3:3) and PFW:SD:TS:PM (1 %:1%:1%:1 %) were composted and compared alongside unamended topsoil (as control) on the growth and dry matter yield (DMY) of banana plantlets. The experiment was laid-out in a completely randomized design of ten replications. Physicochemical characterization of the media revealed variations in N, P, K, Ca, Mg, organic matter content and some micronutrients. Also, there were differences in porosity and bulk density of the media. Growth and DMY of banana plantlets tested in these media varied significantly (p < 0.05). Plantlets raised in PFW:SD:PM had the best growth. Whole-plant DMY was highest in TS:PM (26.4 g) and PFW:SD:PM (25.5 g), followed by SD:PM (18.6 g) and PFW:SD:TS:PM (18.1 g), whereas the poorest growth and DMY were recorded in plantlets raised in PFW"SD (9.4 g) and unamended topsoil (9.5 g). Dry matter partitioning pattern was similar in most media except the control plants that partitioned greater proportion of dry matter to underground plant components. Positive and significant relationships (R2 = 0. 71) existed between plant growth parameters, organic matter and Mg contents of the media. Observed variability in growth and DMY was probably due to the variable physicochemical attributes of the nursery media. Results from the study support the use of soilless organic materials in nursery media formulations to conserve agricultural soils.
Key words: Plantain waste; nursery media; sucker plantlets.

Growth performance and nutrient quality of three Moringa oleifera accessions grown as potherbs under varied manure rates and watering intervals were investigated at the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The treatments included three accessions of Moringa (Awo-Anaekpa, Idere and Kano), three pig manure rates (0, 10 and 20 t/ha) and three watering intervals (3, 4 and 5 days). These were laid out as 3 x 3 x 3 factorial in a completely randomized design, replicated three times. Results showed that seeds of Awo-anekpa accessions had the highest cumulative emergence percentage (97%) and number of emerged seedlings. Plant height and stem girth at 3 months, and number of leaves at 2 and 3 months, after treatment application were higher in Awo-anekpa and Idere accessions than in Kano accession. The leaf proximate composition showed that Idere accession accumulated the highest ash (7.6%) and crude fibre (11.9%). Awo-anekpa contained the highest carbohydrate (41.1%) an...

The need to identify candidate gene for resis tance to powdery mildew (PM), a major fungal foliar disease of cowpea in Southern guinea savannah of Nigeria has necessitated this research. An experiment involving 13 cowpea genotypes was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) of two replications at the Botanical Garden, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Each genotype was scored for susceptibility to the disease. Four parents were afterward selected for progeny generation through a 2 x 2 factorial mating design. The F 1 hybrids were evaluated in RCBD of two replications on the field for powdery mildew resis tance. The scored data was transformed by arcsine method before subjection to analysis in SAS (version, 9.3). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant (P&lt;0.01) differences among the 13 genotypes in their susceptibility to PM. The male, female and the interaction of both significantly (P&lt;0.001) differed. Additive genetic variance (510.07) was higher...

The relative susceptibility of different accessions of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L. Verdc) to Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) was assessed in a laboratory trial in Nigeria. Treatments were comprised factorial combinations of four grain sources from Nigeria (Enugu, Anambra, Benue and Kogi state) and three predominantly contrasting seed coat colours (black, brown, and milky-colour) laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). There were four replications of each treatment. Egg depositions by adult C. maculatus were affected by grain sources such that ovipositions on those sourced from the state of Anambra were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher than those from other sources. Similarly, black coloured grains harboured more insects and eggs compared to other seed coat colours. Accesssions collected from Benue and/or those with a milky-coloured seed coat showed some levels of oviposition deterrence. However, the interaction of grain source and seed coat colour was not sign...

The relative susceptibility of different accessions of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L. Verdc) to Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) was assessed in a laboratory trial in Nigeria. Treatments were comprised factorial combinations of four grain sources from Nigeria (Enugu, Anambra, Benue and Kogi state) and three predominantly contrasting seed coat colours (black, brown, and milky-colour) laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). There were four replications of each treatment. Egg depositions by adult C. maculatus were affected by grain sources such that ovipositions on those sourced from the state of Anambra were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher than those from other sources. Similarly, black coloured grains harboured more insects and eggs compared to other seed coat colours. Accesssions collected from Benue and/or those with a milky-coloured seed coat showed some levels of oviposition deterrence. However, the interaction of grain source and seed coat colour was not sign...

Amuji, C.F., B.C. Echezona and Dialoke, S.A. (2012) Extraction fractions of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and residue in the control of field and storage pests. Journal of Agricultural Technology 8(6):2023-2031. Field and laboratory studies were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of six aqueous extraction rates (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%) of ginger and residues in the control of okra flea beetles and cowpea bruchid (Callosbruchus maculatus F.) respectively, in Nigeria. The field experiment was a randomized complete block design, with three replications. Laboratory experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with four replications. Attacke 2.5 EC ® (lambdacyhalothrin) treated and untreated plots were used for field controls. Actellic 2% dust ® (pirimiphous methyl) treated and untreated grains constituted the controls of the laboratory experiment. Podagrica uniforma (Jacoby) and Nisotra sjostedti (Jacoby) populations were significantly (P&lt;0.05) reduced in...