B. Ikhajiagbe

This study investigated the influence of soil pH variation on weed development originating from soil seed banks. Soil samples were subjected to distinct pH concentrations of 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. The objective was to ascertain the effects of varying pH levels on weed species' development and diversity, thereby shedding light on potential implications for crop productivity. The study's significance lies in its exploration of the relationship between pH concentrations and weed diversity, with implications for crop management. If weeds, which possess adaptable traits, are compromised by pH fluctuations, the security of agricultural crops faces a similar threat. The experiment entailed exposing soil samples to diverse pH concentrations, with two sets of replicates and a control group. Initially, the samples were
irrigated with a 300 ml solution, followed by subsequent applications of 200 ml every alternate day. Emergent weed counts were documented at four-day intervals over an 8-week period. The findings revealed noteworthy trends. At pH extremes of 3 and 11, reduced diversity was observed due to growth suppression, indicating the susceptibility of weed species to extreme pH conditions

This study examines the impact of mulching on the MORPHOLOGY OF BBT BROWN VARIETY OF COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) it was conducted in the university of Benin's Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology botanic garden, the experiment aim to expose the impact of various mulched types on the cowpea. This research investigated the morphological responses of cowpea to eight distinct soil covers (mulch) comprising four inorganic mulch (Polythene Back(PO), Polythene White (PW), Polythene Transparent (PT),Polythene Blue (PB)) and five organic residual (Sawdust, Banana Leaves, Bamboo Leaves, Spent Substrate), against a non-mulched control. The primary objectives were to delineate the influence of each material on stand establishment, vegetative morphology, resource partitioning via the Root Mass Ratio (RMR), and the resulting economic yield components. The experiment evaluated critical parameters across the growth cycle, including Emergence Percentage, Shoot weight, leaf weight, Avg no of leaves, root collar Root Nodules count, RMR(Root Mass Ratio), and key yield components (Avg No of Pods, Avg No of Seeds/Pod, and Avg Pod Length, Avg pendicule length). The analysis revealed significant variation in morphology parameters and impact, it reveals that polythene Black (PO) treatment established itself as the leading practice for highest mean numbers of pods, this findings translated to an increase in pod output compared to the control(non- mulched).The outcome of the analysis also show that inorganic polythene white mulch influenced the cowpea plant as observed in the yield quality metrics having recorded the highest no of pods per seed and the longest Avg pod length, leading to a notable increase during harvest as compared to the control. It also showed that a certain mulch type (OS) influenced the cowpea plant to adopt a root prioritizing strategy giving that it recorded the highest no of nodules. This findings definitively confirms that mulching is essential for optimizing cowpea productivity, but the choice of material must align with the specific productions goals (Either for commercial yield maximization or it utility for long term soil biological sustainability).

The effects of leaf extract-based biosynthesized manganese nanoparticles on growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa var. Nerica) was assessed. The study was carried out in the Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, utilized leaves from four plant species: Carica papaya (Pawpaw), Azadiracta indica (Neem), and the flowers of
Hibiscus sabdarifa (red sorrel, commonly known as ‘zobo leaves’). The rice variety employed was Nerica rice, sourced from a farm in Delta state, Nigeria. Both ferruginous and nonferruginous soils were employed in the study. Nanoparticles were synthesized in the laboratory and applied within 3-4 hours post-synthesis to the rice plants, four weeks after planting. Application involved foliar spraying of each leaf species at room temperature, under sterile conditions. The nanoparticle treatments encompassed the control, ZM1 (5%), ZM2, and so forth (25%), ZM3 (50%), PM1 (5%), PM2 (25%), PM3 (50%), NM1 (5%), NM2 (25%), and NM3
(50%).

The study was conducted to investigate the possibility that growth-promoting rhizobacteria would enhance plant growth capacities of Amaranthus hybrisus and A. viridis in ferruginous ultisols, comparative to their humus counterparts; given the negative impact the former has on cultivation of the plant species. To achieve this, the setup was divided into two groups; the first comprised of 2 weeks old plants that were inoculated the test rhizobacteria – Pseudomonas putida, P. fluorescence and a combination of both in the ratio of 1:1, in both humus (HMS) and ferruginous red (FRS) soils. The second consisted of seeds of the test plants bioprimed with the bacteria in filtrates of HMS and FRS respectively. Growth responses were observed and measured. Plant species sown in the ferruginous red soils (FRS) did not survive beyond 45 days notwithstanding the kind of microbial inoculant. They also did not attain a plant height of 3cm and as such were not reasonable for harvest. For plants sown in humus soil (HMS), height ranged from 30.1 – 39.2 cm in A. hybridus (p=0.293) and 35.3 – 41.6 cm (p=0.072) in A. viridis, notwithstanding the rhizo-inoculant used. For A. hybridus, Leaf area was significantly higher in the inoculated plants sown in HMS. No significant changes in leaf area was reported for A. viridis irrespective of exposure to rhizoinoculation (11.5 – 17.5 cm2, p=223). No significant differences in number of leaves per plant, stem girth, and internode was reported in both species irrespective of treatment. Qualitative assessment of phytochemicals showed presence of saponins, phenolic, tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids in both species notwithstanding inoculation. The presence of glycosides in plants inoculated with P. pseudomonas was reported. Glycosides were absent in the control plants. Significant reduction in total phenols upon inoculation of plants with P. putida was also reported. Following the failure of FRS-exposed plants to subsist, in-vitro growth studies were conducted to compare seed growth response. Results showed that seeds sown in FRSfiltrates grew as better as those in HMS-filtrates. Germination percentage in the Pseudomonas- exposed seeds was better when seeds were primed for 24hthan ofr 3 h in both plant species