Volume 7, No. 1, 2019

Tillage and residual effects of some organic amendments on selected soil chemical properties and yield of maize and cowpea intercrop in an Ultisol, Southeastern Nigeria was investigated. Sole cowpea, sole maize and maize-cowpea intercrop were planted using minimum tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) with poultry droppings (PD), pig waste(PW), and Cassava peels (CP) as amendments at the rates of 20, 90, 100t/ha respectively and a control. Split-split plot in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was used. The same crops, treatments and replications were maintained for two experimental years (2011 and 2012). The residual effect of the amendments on some soil chemical properties and yield of the crops were investigated in 2013. Data collected were subjected to ANOVA using GENSTAT release 7.22DE. Two years consecutive application of organic amendments improved the soil chemical properties, though, not significantly affected by tillage, however, when the amendments were withdrawn, a reduction was observed in the values of the soil chemical properties measured, although still significant for most of the parameters. Pig waste performed better than the other amendments, followed by Poultry droppings. Tillage had no significant influence on the crop yield. Cowpea and Maize yield both (as sole and intercrop) were significantly influenced by organic amendments, the intercrop had a tremendous improvement at the residual compared to the previous years. To ascertain which treatment combination facilitated the improvement in the chemical properties, a GG-biplot was done, which showed that both the intercropped and sole cowpea under conventional tillage with PW amendment performed better than the other treatment combinations.

Keywords: Chemical Properties, GG-biplot, Organic Amendments, Residual Effect, Tillage

This study was carried out to determine the optimum concentration of chlorine required to disinfect wastewater from soak away pit which serve Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike male hostel. The essence was to ascertain the pathogen load and hence provide a guideline for treatment of this wastewater for recycling. Microbiological tests conducted on the sample before chlorination indicated that E. Coli, Staphylococcus Aureus, Streptococcus and Bacillus sp were isolated as organisms present in the wastewater. The wastewater was treated with chlorine concentrations of 0.20 mg/ml, 0.40 mg/ml, 0.60 mg/ml, 0.80 mg/ml, 1.00 mg/ml, 1.04 mg/ml, 1.08 mg/ml, 1.12 mg/ml, 1.16 mg/ml and 1.20 mg/ml respectively, and it was observed that 1.20 mg/ml was the optimum chlorine dose for treating this wastewater. Gram reaction showed that Staph. Aureus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus sp are Gram positive and are less pathogenic. Endospores were formed only by Bacillus sp and because of that are very resistant to antibiotics. The four organisms isolated secreted the enzyme catalase which decomposes hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen, which helps in protecting the cell from oxidative damage by reactive oxygen species. Staph. Aureusis the only organism that produced coagulase which is dangerous to man since it can bring about coagulation or agglutination of blood or plasma by disease-causing forms of Staphylococcus. Other tests are glucose, maltose and fructose. All the organisms tested positive to these three tests except Bacillus sp which tested negative to maltose. Positive response to any of these sugar tests is indicative that these organisms require sugar for their metabolism and growth.

Keywords: Chlorine, Disinfection, Fate, Microbial species

Abstract- This study investigated the relationships between the surface areas of wastewater unit operations and the rate of degradation of organic matter in wastewaters. Wastewater from septic systems was stored in three units, surface areas 0.040 , 0.050 and 0.060 corresponding to samples A, B and C respectively. Samples were collected from the units after storage for 5 days and subjected to dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and colony forming unit’s tests at intervals of eight hours for forty eight hours. Results of rate constants at surface areas of 0.040 , 0.050 and 0.060 were found to be 0.905/day or 22.625/ /day, 0.539/day or 10.780/ /day and 0.636/day or 10.600/ /day. It was observed that DO and BOD of wastewater decreased with time and were least in sample A with surface area 0.040 and highest with sample C with surface area 0.060 after 48 hours, which indicated highest degradation in sample A and least in sample C. In the UV spectrophotometer test, absorbance of 0.063 at 0.5 McFarland Turbidity Standard corresponding to 1.5 x 108 CFU/ml of sample, showed that highest number of bacterial colony was observed in sample B with surface area of 0.050 . Conclusively, the overall trends indicated that smaller surface areas favour degradation of organic matter in wastewaters as rate constants decreased with increased surface areas of the units.

Keywords: Degradation constants, Surface areas, Unit operations

There is however an increasingly short-fall of rabbit production due to an incommensurate human population explosion and demand for meat, hence, the need to evaluate reproductive efficiency of rabbit placed on rhizopith. Thirty six adult halloquine rabbit breeds (24 does and 12 bucks) of 2.2kg average weight were randomly assigned to four rhizopith based dietary treatments (T1= 0%, T2 = 5%, T3= 10%, and T4= 15%,) respectively for 12 weeks. The 84-day ad-libitum feeding trial was tested in a 4×3 Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Results on testosterone and FSH was highest for T3 and different from others (P>0.05). The reproductive efficiency results showed that kit weight, number born alive, number born dead, gestation length, receptivity, conception ratio, vulva colour, mating duration, copulation rate and weight of in does were all significant (P>0.05). From the findings of this study it can be opined that rabbit does could be fed with rhizopith to as high as 15% of total diet since they are highly fibre tolerant without any adverse effect on the reproductive efficiency. In conclusion, therefore, rhizopith at 15% be adopted as part of rabbit diet because it is safe, cheap and available.

Keywords: Rabbit does, Reproductive efficiency, Rhizophora mangle, Rhizopith

Tropical ethno-medical and ethno veterinary plants and other products has the propensity to limit and/or enhance performance and reproductive function in animals, hence this study to ascertain “rhizopith” effect on blood indices of rabbit buck. Forty-eight healthy mixed breed of adult rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) bucks of about 2.2kg average weight were examined in an 84-days feed trial with rhizopith in a 4×3 Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Water and feed was served ad-libitum. Results indicated that blood platelets and lymphocytes were highest while PVC and WBC were second and HTE least for treatment 4 respectively (p˂0.05). Rhizopith seems to have influenced blood parameters as was observed in platelets peak in treatment 4 and lymphocyte peak in treatments 3 and 4 respectively. 2. PCV, hemoglobin value, WBC and RBC were not significantly affected (P>0.05) at 5% inclusion of Rhizophora pith. However, at 10% and 15% level of inclusion of Rhizophora pith, PCV, hemoglobin value, WBC and RBC were significantly affected (P<0.05). The activities of ALP, ALAT and ASAT in the collected blood samples were markedly affected by the Rhizophora pith inclusion at both 10% and 15% inclusion levels. Therefore rhizopith inclusion in rabbit diet should not be included in rabbit buck diet beyond 5% inclusion rate.

Keywords: Blood parameters, Rabbit buck, Rhizophora mangle, Rhizopith, Semen quality