Purpose This study was conducted to determine the effect of compost supplemented with jatropha cake on maize (Zea mays L) yield in a degraded soil and their residual effects on soil fertility in Ilorin, Nigeria. Methods Field trials were conducted at Kwara State University Teaching and Research Farm, Malete, in 2016/2017 cropping season. The treatments consisted of control, un-amended compost Grade B supplemented with Jatropha cake AJ (30% Grade B + 70% JC) at 1.5 t/ha, BJ (30% Grade B + 70% JC) at 2.0 t/ha, CJ (50% Grade B + 50% JC) at 2.5 t/ha including NPK at 60 kg N/ha. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Results Maize grain yield (3.1 t/ha) was obtained from CJ at 2.5 t/ha this was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that of NPK treatment (2.2 t/ha) after the first cropping. At second trials, maize grain yield values gotten from CJ at 2.5 t/ha were also significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that of NPK values. Treatments CJ at 2.5 t/ha significantly (p < 0.05) improved soil pH, available P and exchangeable K. Conclusion Fertilizer 50% Grade B + 50% Jatropha cake at 2.5 t/ha had a significant and positive effect on soil fertility after harvesting of maize when compared with NPK in both cropping.

Root-knot nematode,Meloidogyne incognita, is an important animate pathogen causing major damage and severe reductions in the growth, yield, and quality of sweet potato. Nematicides are expensive and their application also causes environmental pollution. A field experiment was therefore conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of poultry dung (10 or 20 t/ha), cow dung (10 or 20 t/ha), horse dung (10 or 20 t/ha), goat dung (10 or 20 t/ha), organomineral fertilizer (2 or 4 t/ha), and carbofuran (3 kg a.i/ha) in the management ofM. incognitaon sweet potato using a randomized complete block design. The unamended plots served as control. Data were analysed using ANOVA (p≤0.05). All organic materials and carbofuran significantly (p≤0.05) reduced nematode reproduction and root damage compared with control. Poultry dung (10 and 20 t/ha) and carbofuran were, however, more efficient in nematode control than other organic materials. Sweet potato plants that were grown on soil treated with organomineral fertilizer had the highest mean number of vines and fresh shoot weight, while poultry dung improved sweet potato quality and yield. It is therefore recommended that the use of poultry dung be employed in combination with other nematode control strategies to achieve sustainable, economic, and environment-friendly nematode management.

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The life cycle and development of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, was studied in the roots of sweetpotato (CV TIS4400-2) in a screen house. Three-week old sweetpotato seedlings grown in 16 litre polyethylene pots containing 15 litre steam-sterilized sandy loam soil were each inoculated with 5,000 eggs of M. incognita. Twenty four hours later, and subsequently on a daily basis, two seedlings were randomly uprooted and the roots were cleaned and stained using lactoglycerol method and were examined for nematode penetration and stages of nematode development. The development of M. incognita spanned 30 days at a temperature range of 21.33±0.13 o C to 28.36±0.26 o C : egg to second stage juvenile (J2) (2 days); J2 to third stage juvenile (J3) (10 days); J3 to fourth stage juvenile (J4) (2 days); J4 to young adult (2 days) and young adult to adult females with 441±9.7 eggs (14 days).