Abstract. Experiments were conducted to examine the growth and development of oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Magnoliophyta: Arecaceae) seedlings subjected to shading, irrigation regimes and mycorrhizal inoculation in the dry season. Treatments were 2 x 2 x 2 factorial combination consisting of shade and no-shade (open sun), 7 and 14 day irrigation intervals and mycorrhizal inoculation or noninoculation. Seedlings that were grown under shade and irrigated weekly produced highest number and length of fronds, and shoot, leaf and frond weights in addition to taller plants compared to open sun (unshaded) seedlings. Across irrigation treatments, un-shaded seedlings had lower weights of leaf, frond and shoot biomass. The effects of shade treatments were significant on plant height and frond length from 2 to 20 weeks after planting. The seedlings irrigated fortnightly produced longer roots compared with the unshaded and weekly irrigated. Fortnight irrigation enhanced root development compared with weekly irrigation. Shading and weekly irrigation significantly enhanced soil moisture contents and seedling water use efficiency compared with the unshaded. Shaded seedlings irrigated weekly used larger amount of water compared with fortnight irrigation. Significant interactions were obtained between shade and irrigation regimes for most of the growth parameters measured. Mycorrhizal inoculation, shaded and weekly irrigated seedlings were more vigorous compared with the unshaded and noninoculated.

Maize (Zea mays), which is the third most important cereal crop of the world, is an important dual purpose crop used in human diet and animal feed. The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of weeds on the growth and yield of maize, and to determine the best time and frequency of weeding to get an optimum yield. The experiment was conducted at Teaching and Research Farm of The College of Education, Lanlate in the cropping season of 2016. There were four treatments replicated four times to make the total number of plot to be sixteen (16). The treatments are; No weeding, weeding after 2, 3 and 4 weeks. It was shown that if the first weeding is done between 3weeks and 2weeks after planting the optimum yield will be obtained. When the first weeding is allowed to reach 4weeks before it is done there is a drastically reduction in the crop. A crop failure with absolutely low yield was obtained in a field where weeding was not done at all.

The demand for okra usually exceeds what is being produced in Nigeria. Poor soil fertility due to soil degradation partly accounts for the low yield of the crop. Inorganic and organic fertilizers have been found to effectively replenish soil nutrients' losses. Hence this study aimed at carrying out the nutritional evaluation of okra pod and mother soil as influenced by sawdust ash (SDA) on soil properties and okra pod nutrients when used alone or combined with Ammonium nitrate or NPK. There were ten treatments replicated three times in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Treatments were applied three weeks after planting by ring method with NPK or Ammonium nitrate and SDA mixed. The test soil indicated that it was marginal in organic matter, inadequate in available P and slightly acidic. Sole SDA increase the soil P relative to control and sole use of Ammonium nitrate or NPK in 2016. SDA and its combination with NPK or Ammonium nitrate increased soil N, available P, exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg in 2015. SDA alone with its varying combination with Ammonium nitrate and NPK increase the leaf N, K, Ca, P, Mg contents. Addition of SDA to chemical fertilizer such as NPK or Ammonium nitrate increases the soil and plant nutrients and also had liming effects.

The trial was carried out at the Teaching and Research farm of The College of Education, Lanlate to determine the growth characteristics and yield effects of plant spacing and intercropping maize and cowpea. The experimental design used was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) six treatments and five replicates. The treatments were as follows; (1) Cowpea intercropped with maize at 50 X 50cm spacing; (2) Cowpea intercropped with maize at 25 X 25 cm spacing; (3) Sole maize at 50 X 50cm spacing; (4) Sole cowpea at 50 X 50cm spacing; (5) Sole maize at 25 X 25cm spacing and (6) Sole cowpea at 25 X 25cm spacing. Each treatment was replicated five times to make thirty (30) experimental plots. The planting of maize (Zea mays) and the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) was done on 12th June, 2016 with different spacing while the supplying was done a week later. The seeds emerged five days after planting. The plots were kept weed free for the first weeks after planting manually and subsequently done at two week interval. Thinning was done three weeks after planting which was on 27th June, 2016. Thinning was done to reduce the plant to one per stand. The stem height and girth of the cowpea and maize were measured in centimetre (cm) from 2nd week of planting using ruler till the harvesting. At harvesting, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, first day of flowering, weight of the seeds was measured for the cowpea while the number of seeds per cob and the weight of the seed were measured for the maize. The stem height and girth for maize and cowpea were used to evaluate the growth of the crops in each week to harvesting while the number of pods, weight of seeds, flowering period, and weight of cob were used to evaluate the yield of cowpea and maize. Data were analysed by the general linear model statistical procedure with the comparisons of means among treatments with Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The growth of maize is better when intercropped with cowpea at 50X50cm spacing. The growth of maize intercropped with cowpea at 25X25cm spacing is better also using the stem height as comparative measure when compared with the sole maize both at 50X50cm and 25X25cm spacing respectively. It is observed that interplanting of maize and cowpea will really improve the growth and yield of maize and not for the cowpea. A wider spacing for the two crops at 50 X50cm spacing will also bring a slight increase in the yield of cowpea. It is recommended that to boost the yield maize only and to maximize the available land for planting, planting of maize with cowpea at 50 X 50cm spacing is very important.

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