No abstract

This study investigated the effect of crude oil-contaminated soil on the germination and growth performance of Abelmoschus esculentus, a widely cultivated vegetable crop in Nigeria. The experiment was conducted in the Screen House, under controlled environmental conditions. The seedling emergence percentage, heights and girths were studied to determine the growth performance of the crop in crude oil-contaminated soil. The result of the investigation revealed that the crude oil-contaminated soil affects the growth performance of Abelmoschus esculentus L. as hindered germination, reduced heights and girths were observed in the crop planted in treated soil and this adversely and severely affects the crop agronomic growth and development and probably its yield. Therefore, contamination of agricultural soils with crude oil should be avoided and public awareness should be created on the detrimental effects of crude oil pollution in our terrestrial ecosystem. Innovative and environmental-friendly remediation strategies should be carried out on our agricultural soils that have been grossly polluted by crude oil exploitation and exploration.

A combination of field surveys and direct observation was used to identify botanicals whose stems and/or roots were extracted for healthcare purposes in the rural communities of Ekiti State, Nigeria. Diverse number of species was identified as being used for health care by respondents in the study area. The respondents' consensus factor which specifies the agreement degree of the respondents revealed that their preference for healthcare maintenance was skewed towards the use of botanicals rather than the orthodox drugs. Respondents' fidelity level was determined and the results obtained revealed that the botanicals were perceived as safe, cheap, readily available with little or no side effects. Considerable proportions of these botanicals were not cultivated and their collection pattern was mostly annihilative and unsustainable. Thus they were mostly rare on the abundance scale used in this study. Most of the uncultivated species were indigenous tree species that has forest as their primary source. With increasing and unprecedented deforestation rate in the study area, there is the need for conservation of these species.

The effectiveness of three pre-germination treatments in breaking dormancy of the seeds of Dialum guineense and effects of three watering regimes on the growth performance of the seedlings were investigated. The pre-germination treatments were: soaking in hot water for 10 seconds and cooling down in cold water (T 1 ), soaking in cold water for 24 hours (T 2 ), soaking in running water for 48 hours (T 3 ) and control (T 4 ), while watering regimes include: watering once daily in the morning (W 1 ), watering once every two days in the morning (W 2 ) and watering once every three days in the morning (W 3 ). The results showed that germination occurred first at 5 days after sowing (5 DAS) among the seeds soaked in cold water for 24 hours before sowing (T 2 ), while the untreated seeds (control) took the longest period of 12 days before germination occurred. T 1 had the highest germination value of 49.6% while T 3 had the least of 31.2%. The effects of watering regimes were found to be significantly different on stem-collar diameter, leaf area and total dry weight (P < 0.05). The least significant difference (LSD) test showed that W 2 and W 3 supported the best growth performance. It is concluded from the results that T 2 should be adopted for breaking the dormancy of Dialium guineense seeds and watering interval of three days would not dispose the seedlings to water-stress.

Chemical tests were carried out on the aqueous extracts of the air-dried powders of two tropical moss plants, <i>Thidium gratum</i> and <i>Barbula indica</i> using standard procedures, to identify the phytochemical constituents. The extracts were screened for the presence and quantities of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins and steroids with a view to assess their therapeutic values in ethnomedicine. The results of the phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins and steroids in varying quantities in the two moss plants but there was absence of phenol in <i>Barbula indica</i>. These results suggest that the two moss plants can be veritable and potential source of useful drugs in treatment of ailments