DETERMINATION

This study assessed the physicochemical quality of diesel oil sold in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, using aggregate samples collected from four local government areas (Egor, Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, and Ovia North-East). The scope covered five key parameters—flash point, distillation characteristics, density, basic sediment and water (BSW), and colour selected for their direct impact on safety, efficiency, and compliance with standards. Diesel samples were collected in sealed one-liter containers, combined into four aggregates, and analyzed using ASTM methods (D93 for flash point, D86 for distillation, D1298 for density, D1796 for BSW, and D1500 for color). Results showed distillation ranges within specification, with initial boiling points of 160–165 °C and final boiling points of 355–356 °C, and final recovered volumes of 97–98 mL, indicating uniform volatility. Density corrected to 15 °C ranged from 0.834 g/mL (Oredo) to 0.847 g/mL (Ovia North-East), aligning with the acceptable 0.82–0.85 g/mL range. BSW content was consistently low at 0.05%, while ASTM colour values ranged from 1.0 to 1.5, all within standards. However, flash points were below 52 °C across all LGAs, failing to meet the ASTM D975 minimum, suggesting contamination or blending with lighter fractions. The findings highlight generally consistent diesel quality but raise safety concerns requiring regulatory oversight.

Efficient water management is important for sustainable agricultural production, particularly in regions experiencing climatic variability and limited water resources. This study focuses on determining evapotranspiration rates for maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa) crops using selected evapotranspiration models under the climatic conditions of Ovia North East LGA, Edo State. Two ET models- the Blaney Morin Nigeria (BMN) and Hagreaves- Samani methods were semployed to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ETo) based on meteorological data obtained from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) station. Crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was subsequently derived by applying crop coefficients (Kc) corresponding to the different growth stages. The study compared the performance of both models to evaluate their suitability for local conditions. Results indicated that the BMN model, which uses relative humidity alongside temperature and daylength, produced ET estimates more consistent with humid tropical conditions than the temperature based Hagreaves- Samani model. It was also found that using BMN instead of Hagreaves- Samani model reduces estimated irrigation demand by 85% for both maize and rice, corresponding to water savings of about 8,587 m³/ha and 10,230 m³/ha and approximate energy savings of 390kWh/ha for maize and 456kWh/ha for rice. The findings highlight the importance of using locally calibrated ET models for accurate irrigation scheduling and water resource management. This study provides valuable insights for improving water use efficiency, enhancing crop yield, and promoting climate smart agricultural practices in southern Nigeria.

Monodora myristica is a perennial, edible plant used in West Africa and other parts of the world for its medicinal and culinary value. There is paucity of data on the nutritional contents of M. myristica seeds in the four regions of Nigeria where the seeds are easily available. This study was undertaken to determine the mineral contents of M. myristica (African nutmeg) seeds from Abuja, Awka, Benin City and Ondo Towns. Seeds of M. myristica used were deshelled, oven-dried and ground into fine powder. The powdered sample was subjected to mineral analysis using atomic absorption spectrometry. The mineral analysis showed that there were highly significant differences in the mineral contents of African nutmeg samples sourced from the various locations in calcium, chromium, potassium and zinc. But the iron, magnesium, manganese, and sodium contents were not significantly different from one location to the other. The results showed that the Monodora myristica seeds are rich in minerals and that the content levels vary in some minerals as a result of the location. This may be as a result of the different soil types and the nutritive state of the soil
where the plants were grown. It should also be noted that no particular location exhibited better mineral element composition across all the minerals studied. More mineral elements both beneficial and harmful should be studied in African nutmeg from more locations