Effect of Mild Steel Buried in Crude Oil Polluted Soils on the Iron Content of Two Maize (Zea Mays L.) Varieties
1ORJI, O. A. and 2Onwugbuta
1Department of Crop/Soil Science, Rivers State University, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt
2Department of Biochemistry/ Chemistry Technology, School of Science Laboratory Technology, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt
Corresponding Author: ORJI, O. A
IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT) e-ISSN: 2319-2402,p- ISSN: 2319-2399.Volume 12, Issue 12 Ver. I (December. 2018), PP 85-88
Abstract:
Surface soils were collected two weeks before planting and two weeks after harvest and analyzed for some physico-chemical properties. The soil samples were collected from the root area of plants where the leaf samples were obtained. Leaf samples were also taken from two varieties of maize (Zea mays L.) plants during the stem development (at the 9th week of planting) and both were analyzed for Fe content. Correlation analysis between Fe contents of soil before and after planting and Fe contents of leaf during heading was performed to determine the relationship among the variables. The iron contents of the soil samples before planting ranged between 1.27 and 6.50 mg/kg, while the iron contents of soils after harvest ranged between 0.98 and 5.03mg/kg. However, iron contents of the leaf samples ranged from 14.88 to 96.01mg/kg. The correlation between iron contents of soil before planting and after harvest and iron contents of leaves showed a significant effect at the 0.01 level according to statistical analysis. This implies that there was direct relationship between iron contents of leaves and the soil samples analyzed.
Spatial Variability of Some Soil Physical Properties of an Alfisol
MBONU, O. A. (2003). Spatial Variability of Some Soil vol.11:42-46.Physical Properties of an Alfisol. Afri. J. of Agric. Res., vol. 1(1&2):77-82.
Abstract:
The spatial variability of some soil physical properties of a loamy sand alfisol in Ibadan (3°61E and 6°81 N) in the northernmost part of the rainforest zone of Nigeria, was evaluated. Undisturbed soil samples were taken at 3m apart and at 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-60cm depths, for determination of bulk density, macro porosity, total porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and moisture characteristics. Disturbed samples were also collected from the same points for particle size analysis. Correlation coefficient(r) arid regression equations were detem7ined for some properties Coefficients of variability (CV) ranged between 0.3 and 3.7, 0.8 and 8.0, 4.5 and 33.0, 0.9 and 3.4, 0.58 and 6.8 and 19.6 end 34.6% for sand ,clay and silt contents, bulk density, total porosity and saturated hydraullic conductivity respectively. The CV for moisture contents increased with decreasing moisture potentials. There were very low correlation coefficient (r) values between saturated hydraullic conductivities and macro potosity (r=0.14) and total porosity (r = 0.32).
Infitrability as affected by topsoil Removal
MBONU, O. A. and BABALOLA, O. (2003). Water Infitrability as affected by topsoil Removal. Afri. J. of Agric. Res., vol. 1(1&2):53-56.
Abstract:
Water infiltrability of an alfisol in the semi humid tropics, as affected by different levels of desurfacing, were investigated using the double ring infiltrometer. Both the initial and equilibrium infiltration rates (IR) varied with level of desurfacing. There were no significant differences between the IR of the control and the -2cm depth of desurfacing (<0.05). The initial and equilibrium IR for the -5 and -15cm desurfacing differed significantly from the control. The initial IR was in the order 28 > 10 > 9 > 8 cmhr-1 for -10, -5, 0 and -2cm depths of desurfacing respectively, while the equilibrium IR was in the order was 9.5 > 5.6 > 3.3 > 2.9 cm for -10, -5, 0 and -2 cm depths of desurfacing respectively. The higher infiltration rates of the -5 and -10 depth of desurfacing suggests that the decrease in IR as a result of desurfacing by erosion, as reported by previous works, may not primarily be as a result of surface soil removal but the subsequent crusting sealing of the soil pores with the impact of rain drops. The equilibrium IR highly correlated with physical properties of the soil, with correlation coefficient values (r) ranging from 0.79 to 0.89. The equilibrium IR was multi-regressed with some of the physical properties as follows:
Y = 2.38.85 – 26X1 – 3.8X2 – 0.2X3 + 0.1X4 – 0.08X5, where X1 = % sand, X2 = % silt, X3 = % clay, X4 = saturated hydraulic conductivity and X5 = total porosity.
Relative fertility potential of termite and earthworm amended soils along a slope: II. Carbon mineralization.
OKOLI, O. A. (2004). Relative Fertility Potentials of Termite and Earthworm Ammended Soils Along a Slope. II. Carbon Mineralization. Niger Delta Biologia, vol. 4(2) 95-99.
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (C02) evolution is an index of carbon mineralization, organic matter decomposition and therefore nutrient release. C02 evolution in the laboratory was therefore, sued to assess the fertility potentials of small termite mounds along a given slope and earthworm costs relative to their parent soils. The experiment was in two part; a set was treated with 1 g dry straw, while the other was not. 200g of each treatment were incubated in triplicates and the C02 evolved at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 weeks were determined. For all treatments, C02 evolved were highest at the end of the 1st week and then reduced with time, indicating a reduction in organic materials. With or without straw addition, C02 evolved form termite and earthworm modified soils were higher and bottom slope, but not for the top. This was consistent for the middle and bottom slope, but not for the consistent for the middle and bottom slope, but not for the top. With a cumulative 15 weeks, C02, evolution of 3.99mg/g and 5.38mg for earthworm and termite modified soils, respectively; the former appears inferior to the latter in terms of organic matter decomposition and hence nutrient release, relative to their parent soil. There was also a positive linear correlation between cumulative C02 evolved after 15 weeks and crop performance form the same soils ( r =0.57).
Relative Fertility Potentials of Termite and Earthworm Ammended Soils Along a Slope. I. Crop Performance.
OKOLI, O. A. and AGBIM, N. (2004). Relative Fertility Potentials of Termite and Earthworm Ammended Soils Along a Slope. I. Crop Performance. Niger Delta Biologia, vol. 4(2)42-46.
Abstract:
A greenhouse study of the relative forestry potential of small termite mounds collected at top, middle and bottom of the Edega hill. Nsukka in Enugu state Nigeria ( 21o average slope) and also earthworm costs at the bottom, along with the soils adjacent to each samples; was conducted over a two maize cropping periods of five weeks each. The different treatments were amended uniformly with poultry droppings at the rate of 10mt/ha after the first cropping. The dry matter maize yields of the termite modified soils at the middle and bottom slopes ( TMS – M and TMS-B) and earthworm modified soil (EMS) were significantly higher than those of their parent soils (TAS –M, and TAS-B) and earthworm modified soil (EMS) were significantly higher than those of their parent soils (*TAS-M, and TAS-B); at both the first and second cropping, at 5% probability level. The yields of the termite – modified soils were significantly different, with respect to position on the slope. The total dry matter yields of the TMS-M were highest (1.36g plant), followed by that of termite modified and at the top of the slope TMS-T (0.87g/plant) and then TMS-B (0.75gplants). also at the end of the second cropping, the pH values (in H20) of the termite modified soils (TMS-T, TMS-M, and TMS-B) and earthworm modified soil (TMS-T, TMS-M, and TMS-B) and earthworm modified soil (EMS) decreased by 1.00, 1.40, 1.33 and 0.13 respectively, while those of their parent soils (TAS-T and TAS-M) increased by 0.27 and 0.17 respectively. The pH of the bottom-unmodified soils (TAS-B) remained the same.
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