incidence and severity were non-significant (p > 0.05) at 90 and 120 days after planting respectively. The use of EOPBA as a soil amendment and for the control of cocoyam leaf blight diseases caused by Phytophthora colocasiae revealed that it has the potentials of promoting vegetative growth of cocoyam [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.] grown in a degraded ultisol. This study also revealed that EOPBA does not have any significant effect (p > 0.05) in the control of cocoyam leaf blight incidence and severity. Application of 2 t ha -1 was found to be an optimal dose in the enhancement of cocoyam vegetative growth (leaf area index, number of leaves, stem girth and plant height respectively).

Field studies were carried out in the Teaching and Research farm of Cross River University of Technology, Obubra, Nigeria in 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons to determine the effects of lime and phosphorus on the nodulation of Mucuna flagellipes. The experimental design was a 3 × 4 factorial of three lime rates: 0, 1 and 2 t CaCO 3 /ha and four P rates: 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg P/ha laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Lime at 2 t/ha significantly reduced soil acidity, improved growth and yield of M. flagllipes. The highest number of leaves and nodule per plant were obtained at phosphorus rate of 60 kg/ha. The combined used of 2 t/ha lime and 60 kg/ha P resulted in the highest leaf area index, dry matter of plant fractions (leaf, stem and nodule) per plant. A combination of 40 kg/ha and 1.0 t/ha lime produced the highest seed yield (3.768 and 3.567 t/ha) per hectare in 2016 and 2017. Results indicated improvement in soil nutrients after harvest. Farmers can use 2 t/ha lime, 40 kg/ha P or 1 t/ha lime combined with 40 kg/ha P to cultivate M. flagellipes an indigenous legume readily available in Nigeria in place of expensive nitrogenous commercial fertilizers for improved biological nitrogen fixation seed yield and sustainable soil fertility management.

An evaluation of crosses between vegetable and field cowpea for resistance to the cowpea Bruchids, [Callosobruchus maculatus (F)], was carried out at the Enugu State University of Science andThe result of the experiment also showed a significant difference in mean longevity of female adults reared from cowpea lines with those reared from AD-36W B X An-14-D, and AE-36-C having the highest mean longevity of 14 days each whereas those from AD-36WXAE-36-C had the least mean longevity of 5.6 days. Also, there was a significant difference in mean testa thickness of the seeds tested with AE-36-C having the highest mean testa thickness of 0.20mm, whereas AD-36-W B had the least mean testa thickness of 0.02mm. However, there was no correlation between either testa thickness or moisture content and levels of infestation by the storage insect pest. Again, there was a significant difference between mean weight loss of seeds tested after infestation by C. maculatus, with AD-36W B recording the highest mean weight loss of 0.38g, whereas AE-36-C and AE-36-F, had the least mean weight loss of 0.07g. There was a positive correlation between the weight loss of the adult C. maculatus and the weight (g) of the seeds from which the insect pest was reared (r = 0.03).

A field experiment to comparatively evaluate the effect of carbofuran 5G, chlorpyrifos 20Ec and chilli pepper aqueous extract on the growth, yield and control of insect pest of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, southeastern Nigeria during the 2017 rainy season between the months of April and October. The experimental design was randomized complete block (RCB) with four (4) treatments replicated five (5) times. Parameters assessed were plant height(cm), number of feeding holes created by leaf beetles (Podagrica uniformis) per plant, number of flowers per plant, number of fruits per plant, leaf area index and fruit yield (t ha-1). The result of the experiment showed a significant (p<0.05) treatment effect on all the parameters measured/assessed except leaf area index. Plots treated with carbofuran 5G recorded highest on all the parameters assessed except number of feeding holes created by P.uniformis per plant as follows; mean plant height of 45.45 cm, mean number of 4.20 fruits per plant, mean leaf area index of 4.18, mean number of 48.60 feeding holes created by Podagrica per plant and mean fruit yield of 1.79 t ha-1.The efficacy of Chilli pepper aqueous extract (bio-insecticide) in the control of a major insect pest (Podagrica uniformis), growth and yield of okra did not significantly differ from that of chlorpyrifos 20Ec (Synthetic insecticide), the use of Chilli pepper aqueous extract to okra producers in Enugu area is therefore recommend as a better substitute to synthetic insecticide.

A field experiment to evaluate the effect of poultry manure and N.P.K 15:15:15 fertilizer on the growth and yield of Nsukka yellow pepper (Capsicum annum