FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential macronutrients needed for plant growth but its use efficiency is reduced due to adsorption sometimes caused by influence of pH. The study aimed at
determining the chemical and physical properties of the sampled soil as well as P sorption capacity at different pH in kulfo soil series of Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Benin city, Edo state. The study was conducted on twelve (12) samples collected from four (4) soil depths (0-30, 30-60, 60-90, and 90-120 cm) in four (4) replicates from the Kulfo soil series. Physical and chemical properties were determined following standard procedures while the P sorption capacity were determined by equilibrating 5 g soil for 24 hours in 25 ml of P retention solution containing 1000 mg P/L as KH2PO4. The P in the soil P retention suspension was read using the Nitric vanadomolybdate yellow method. The amounts of P adsorbed were calculated by plotting a graph of absorbency against % p retention (100, 80, 60, 40, 20 and 0%) of the standard serial solution. Afterward, P retention of the samples were determined from the regression equation of the curve. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using Genstat statistical package. The means were separated at 5% level of probability using Duncan multiple range test. The physical properties indicated that the soil's textural class was predominantly sandy loam for all depths, except at 0-30 cm, where it was Loamy Sand. The chemical properties of the soils revealed that they were acidic, with a mean pH value of 4.71. Other soil properties such as K, Ca, Mg and Na were within the normal range of crop production. The % p sorption varied with soil depths at all pH level, the % P retention at pH (3.0, 4.6, 7.0 and 8.6) had a mean value of (23.5, 19.0, 13.85 and 14.15) respectively. The influence of pH on P sorption calls for a compressive P management approach for the soil, designing the best P management practice to reduce P sorption in soil.

This study examined the postharvest practices information needs among tomato marketers in Egor local government area, Edo state, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to;
describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the marketers, examine various tomato postharvest practices engaged by the respondents, ascertain the information needs of
tomato marketers on post-harvest practices, identify sources of information on post harvest practices among tomato marketers, and identify constraints to tomato post-harvest
practice in the study area. A two stage sampling technique was employed in this study. Data for this study were
obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained through the use of structured questionnaire administered through interview schedule to Eighty (80) randomly selected respondents from the study area. Data obtained were analyzed using
Multiple Regressions. Results from the descriptive statistic showed that all (100%) of the respondents was
female, and majority (68.8%) was married. The mean age, mean household size, mean years of marketing experience and mean average monthly income were 42.16years, 4.83
members, 13.34years and N43,771.19 respectively. Majority (85%) of the respondents was educated and majority (98.8%) was Christians. Majority (75%) of the marketers were
members of an association and majority (93.8%) were retailers. The study showed that information on how best to preserve tomatoes, information on tomato storage, and
information on how best to transport tomatoes were the major information needs of tomato marketers in the study area. These information needs were adjudged as needed
information with all above the mean benchmark of 3.0. Information sources of tomato marketers were analyzed based on their availability, accessibility and preference. It was
observed that information sources such as; fellow marketers, friends and neighbours and marketers union or cooperative were available, accessible and preferred by the marketers,
with means above the benchmark of 2.0. The postharvest practices engaged by marketers were sorting, grading, cleaning, disinfecting, transportation and marketing. The major constraints to postharvest practices information needs of marketers were inadequate financial support, lack of knowledge of relevant postharvest handling information, and
poor language of information presentation. They all had mean above the benchmark of 2.5 and were adjudged to be serious. Multiple regressions showed that only membership of an association significantly correlated with information needs on postharvest practices at 1% level of significance. The study concluded that though the marketers were experienced due to high years of marketing experience, they still need information on postharvest practices to improve their knowledge and extension agents should conduct an outreach for tomato marketers to help inform them more on postharvest practice they require.

This study assessed the financial inclusion and welfare outcomes among rural women in Edo South Agricultural Zone, Edo state, Nigeria. The research examined individuals' social and economic circumstances, assessed their knowledge and use of financial services, evaluated their well-being, and identified the social, organizational, and cultural challenges they encounter. We used a multi-step process to select 180 women for the study. The results were examined using basic statistics and other methods to draw conclusions, with a 5% significance level. The results show that the average age of the people surveyed was 48 years. On average, there were 3 people in each household, they had 6 years of formal education, and their income was $55,473. 833% of the people asked identified as Christians, and 57. 8% of them worked mainly in farming. More than half (63. 3%) of the people surveyed knew a lot about financial services. About 506% had good access to these services, and 58. 3% used them a lot. Garrett listed the main reasons why people have trouble using financial services. The biggest issues are a lack of infrastructure, high interest rates, and gender inequality in financial matters. These are serious challenges related to structures, institutions, and social culture. The HFIAS results showed that 50. 4% of the people surveyed were very worried about not having enough food. The results from the study using multiple linear regression showed that structural barriers (β=1. 3911, p ≥005) have a positive and important connection with the welfare of rural women in the area being studied. According to the study, although people were aware of and often engaged with financial services, their lives weren't necessarily improved by them. This might be due to the difficulties the person faced in getting and using these financial services. This study suggests that the government, non-profit groups, banks, and other important organizations should work hard to improve people's understanding of money and create support systems that will help more people access financial services in the area being studied.

This study examined the forms and distribution of nitrogen in selected domestic dumpsites
in Ughelli Metropolis, Delta State. Soil samples were collected using the soil auger from three different sample locations in Ughelli Metropolis, Ughelli North Local Government Area Delta State. The soils were analyzed for some chemical and physical physical properties determined include the soil textural classes such as sands, clays, and silts. Some chemical properties studied in this experiment included pH, Total Nitrogen, Organic Nitrogen, Inorganic Nitrogen, Exchangeable Cations, Available Phosphorus, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter. The results show that the predominant textural class was sand, with varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay. Sites 1, 2, and 3 had material compositions, with total sand dominance in the topsoils and increasing clay contents at increasing soil depths (30 - 60 cm). pH values ranged from 6.40 to 5.79 with mean value (6.10), 6.11 to 5.57 with a mean (5.18), and 6.61 to 5.63 with a mean (6.12) in Sites 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Organic carbon content was highest in topsoils (0 - 30cm) across all sites while total nitrogen exhibited variations across soil depths with high amounts in the topsoils (0 -30cm). Available phosphorus content decreased down soil depths, while exchangeable cations showed soil depth-related trends. The presence of exchangeable cation decreased with depth. However, there was little or no changes in the contents of Magnesium and Potassium at 30-60cm depth across sites 2 and 3. Exchangeable Acidity was found to increase with increasing depth across the various sites. Organic and Inorganic Nitrogen contents were found to decrease with increasing depth across the various selected dumpsite in Ughelli Metropolis Delta State. In general, both organic and inorganic nitrogen in the selected domestic dumpsite were found to correlate positively with some soil physical and chemical properties. The experiment shows that dumpsite nitrogen contents of the study areas were greatly influenced by type of waste materials, presence of leachate, surrounding groundwater and environmental conditions.

The experiment was conducted to determine the yield, physical and chemical composition of leaf protein concentrates and bagasse obtained from oil palm leaf using three different processing methods. The process of extraction were heat coagulation, acid coagulation, and alum precipitation methods. The leaf protein concentrates and bagasse
obtained were further analysed for their chemical and mineral compositions. The yield of LPC and bagasse obtained from acid coagulation, alum precipitation, and heat precipitation were comparable. But, the yield of OLPC was not significantly (p>0.05) different in the acid and alum processing methods, but was significantly (p<0.05) different for the heat processing method. Result, from the chemical analysis shows that the CP and EE of acid coagulation method were significantly (p<0.05) different from alum and heat processing methods. At the same time, the MC and NFE of OLPC for heat were significantly (p<0.05) different from alum precipitation method and acid coagulation method. From the results obtained from this study, Oil palm leaf protein concentrates obtained using heat coagulation, acid coagulation and alum precipitation methods were comparable but heat coagulation would be preferable as a result of its high Ca (633.0), Cu (15.67), Mn (66.83), Zn (108.77), Na (3.46), Mg (501.63), P (417.67), Fe (154.30)
and Cl (1.307) values.

This study was designed to evaluate the microorganisms associated with soursop seeds obtained from New Benin market, Benin City. The objectives of the study were to ascertain the percentage of infection of microorganism associated with soursop seeds; isolate and identify microorganisms associated with soursop seeds, and determine the microbial diversity associated with soursop seeds. The experiment was carried out in the Department of Crop Science Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Edo State. The Incubation Technique (Agar plate method) was employed during the course of the study. Soursop seeds
(seedcoat and endosperm) were chopped into tiny bits, surface sterilized, and placed on filter paper to drain off moisture, and cultured with Potato Dextrose Agar and nutrient agar (PDA and NA). Microbial identifications were done using morphological and biochemical tests for bacteria, while microscopic features examination was carried out for fungi. During the course of the study which lasted for 9 weeks, three (3) bacteria species (Proteus sp., Streptococcus sp., and Bacillus sp.) and three (3) fungi species (Aspergillus sp., Phoma sp., and Yeast cell) were isolated from the seed of soursop. Results of the study showed that Aspergillus sp. Phoma sp. Yeast cell, Proteus sp. streptococcus sp. and Bacillus sp., known to be pathogenic, were disseminated predominantly by seeds, and was observed that the level of bacteria infection was higher in seed coat when compared to endosperm while the level of fungi infection was higher in the endosperm when compared to the seed coat. The incidence of bacteria and fungal organisms on the seed parts of soursop has been demonstrated by this study. High incidence of some of these organisms can result in far reaching consequences such as total crop failure. It was therefore recommended to carry out seed tests by agar plate method (Incubation Technique). This is because the agar plate method provides an efficient tool for the quick identification of specific seed infections; plant pathogen management should be carried out in form of plant products (plant extract) that show
good bioactivity against bacterial and fungal isolates associated with soursop seed or other related crops.

Annona muricata also known as soursop, is a plant in the Annonaceae family. Soursop grows in a variety of soil types of soil, which provides a habitat that supports the growth of soil organisms. One of the most important factors influencing microbial activity and diversity in soil is the availability of water. The objective of this study was to identify microorganisms in soil subjected to treatment with Trichoderma sp and planted with soursop under varying watering regimes. The experiment was conducted in the department of Crop Science Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture; University of Benin, Benin city. The study investigated the influence of watering regime, soil media and soil incubation duration on the growth of Soursop. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two replications and were separated using Student-Newman-Keul test. The results of this experiment showed the presence of four fungal isolates (Mucor mucedo, Trichoderma sp, Aspergillus niger, and Rhizopus arrhizus) and four bacterial isolates (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, and Klebsiella oxytoca) in soil cultivated with soursop under different watering regimes. The identification of Trichoderma sp reaffirms the efficacy of the treatment while the diverse fungi and bacterial species suggest a complex soil ecosystem. It was observed that the varying watering regimes (Watering every day, watering every 3 days, watering every 5 days and Watering every 7 days) showed different degrees of microbial population and diversity, with the highest occurring (12.4 x 10 6 cfu/g and 16.9 x 10 6 cfu/g) in Watering every day while soil-seed treatment; Untreated seed-Untreated soil had the highest microbial population (12.9 x 10 6 cfu/g and 16.4 x 10 6 cfu/g). From the results obtained, the soil and seed treatment, watering regime and soil incubation duration had effect on the microbial population. On the basis of these findings, it is recommended that soil watered daily should be used when growing soursop for optimum growth.

After spreading through East Asia, Europe, and North America in early 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic started affecting countries in Africa. However, there has been little or no work on the effect of COVID-19 on Urban Poultry Enterprise. This study therefore evaluates the effect of COVID-19 on urban poultry enterprise in Ovia-North East and Egor local government area. And the specific objectives of this study are to: examine the socio-economic characteristics and level patronage of the poultry enterprise in the study area, estimate the income of respondents in the pre and during of the COVID-19 era, examine the constraint facing the poultry enterprise and the preventive measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 by the government and then identify coping strategies of poultry enterprise in the pre and during the COVID-19 era. A three stage sampling technique was used, involving a purposive selection of five most urban towns, based on urbanization and presence of poultry enterprise, getting the contact of the poultry farmers, using the Krejcie and Morgan 1970 sample size technique and then a simple random sampling of 70 percent of the respondents from the sample size gotten from population. The result of the descriptive statistics reveals the R-Square of 0.3375 which indicates that household size, farm size, annual farm income and number of eggs collected
daily eggs collected daily have 33.75% influence on the effects of COVID-19 on Deleted[user]: lockdown Deleted[user]: lockdown poultry enterprise. This indicates that there is a significant relationship between some of the socio-economic characteristics of the poultry farmers and effect of COVID-19 on poultry enterprise, there is a difference in the patronage of poultry products and income of urban poultry farming farmers in the two era of COVID-19 in Ovia North- East and Egor Local Government Area, Edo State. In conclusion, in curbing the effect of the COVID-19 insurgency, it is important that Federal Government strive to promote and integrate public health measures, along with food security measures in the society

The soils of Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State were studied in order to update the classification, mapping and suitability evaluation done by Federal Department of Agricultural Land Resources (FDALR 1985). Soil mapping was at the reconnaissance scale; soil classification was according to the USDA and WRB systems while suitability evaluation was patterned after FAO guidelines, as modified by several scientists for rubber, oil palm, cacoa, maize and cassava. Reliability of the soil maps were
determined by the variability indices of: Coefficient of Variation (CV), Variance Ratio Test (VRT), Inter – class Correlation Coefficient (P1), Relative variance (RV) and its Complement (1 – RV). Validation of the updated work was done through a free soil survey procedure and suitability assessment for rubber on the 17.7 ha parcel of land for RRIN within the project area. The study revealed that six major mapping units were found and classified as Alfisols/Lixisols, (occupying some 66,160.26 ha), Inceptisols/Cambisols (37,803.07 ha) and Entisols/Arenosols (19,471.17 ha). The FDALR work showed two mapping units classified as Alfisol/Lixisol and without areal distribution of the units. In terms of the reliability of the soil maps for the study area, the results showed that the findings in this study is quite superior to that of the FDALR. In terms of suitability for the selected crops, for the current findngs, 70,201.5 ha (56.87%) was best suited for maize, cassava and cocoa, while 26, 624.49ha (21.57 %) was best suited for cocoa only. An area of 19,471.17 ha (15.77%) was best suited for maize, cassava and rubber while an area of 7,137ha was found not suitable for any of the 5 crops under study. The FDALR study had the same tree crops examined for their suitability, no area was
rated unsuitable and only one map was used to represent all the crops, while for arable crops, no specific crop was mentioned and it had only one map and two suitability classes. For Indices of variability: FDALR study had 46 % homogeneity within mapping units by CV while it was 87 % for the 2019 findings. For variance ratio test (VRT), no property was significantly different for the 1985 study while for the 2019, 13 properties were significantly different; Intra class correlation coefficient (pi) , in the 1985
work only CEC was accurately predicted (pi > 0.5) while in the 2019 work 7 properties were accurately predicted (pi > 0.7); for Relative variance only one property, CEC was accurately predicted compared with 9 properties (RV = 0.26 – 0.53) - 1985 and 2019 respectively. The results of the 17.71ha classification and suitability ratings agreed with that of the updated findings – being largely Inceptisol/Cambisol and only marginally suitable for rubber cultivation. Thus it can be concluded that while the FDALR study served its purpose as a pioneering attempt and hence overdue for updating. The study was highly necessary for accurate prediction of crop performance and sustainable management of the study location.

The consumption of snacks such as meat pie has progressively been on the increase. It is assumed that the safety in terms of crobial population may not be guaranteed. Meat pies produced and consumed in University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria were assessed for microbiological population in Areas of Faculty of Arts, Mat-Ice Anatomy gate, Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Engineering and Uniben buka. Microbiological quality of meat pies produced and consumed was determined using cultural media and serial dilution for isolation and identification of bacteria and fungi count loads in meat pies sold in the University of Benin. A total of 5 meat pie samples were taken randomly from the five different locations within university of Benin in Benin city. Aliquot of 1ml of the appropriate dilution from each contaminated water was plated in nutrient agar for isolation of bacteria, potato dextrose agar for isolation of fungi. The data obtained were subjected to Analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Genstat. They were all were analyzed for total heterotrophic bacteria count and total fungal count. The 5 samples had a mean total aerobic plate count and coli forming count ranging from 0.914log cfu/g to 1.828log cfu/g for bacteria counts and 0.5log cfu/g to 2.2log cfu/g for fungal counts with. Four different bacterial and four fungal isolate were identified to include Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus spp, mold and yeast respectively. The microbial counts showed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05), between the mean, bacterial and fungal counts. The presence of Escherichia coli, which is an indicator organism infeces call for concern. Adoption of good manufacturing practices in the meat pie hazard analysis critical’ control point (HACCP) are necessary to prevent occurrence of food borne infection. Thus, this study re vealed the likelihood of a very high risk associated with the consumption of meat pies within university of Benin, Benin City