E.O. AIRUEGHIAN

This field experiment was conducted in the Experimental Field of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, to ascertain the physical and chemical properties of soil and agronomic performance of Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Maize (Zea Mays) in monoculture and intercrop. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three levels of treatment and three replicates. Soil samples were
collected before and after experiment for determination of parameters: pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, hydrogen, aluminium, sand, silt and clay. Also plant parameters like, stem girth, number of leaves, vine length, weight of 100 grains and yield were also determined. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and Duncan Multiple Range Test was used
to separate means at 5% level of significance. Results show that the total nitrogen content of the soil in the sole maize plot reduced to 0.54 g/kg from the 0.63 g/kg recorded in the soil before sowing while the kidney bean + maize intercrop plot increased to 0.73 g/kg and the
sole kidney bean pot was 0.80 g/kg. Furthermore, the soils in the area were generally acidic in nature and belong to the loamy sand textural class. The effect of intercropping on yield varied between kidney bean and maize. For kidney bean and intercropping, there was a
slight increase in grain weight (32.8 g under intercropping compared to 31.9g in monoculture) and a minor improvement in total yield (0.72 t/ha in intercropping relative to 0.70 t/ha in monocropping). This suggests that intercropping had positive effect on yield of
kidney bean. The nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium) content of the grains of maize and kidney bean were not affected by intercropping. However, intercropping resulted in a decrease in yield components (stem girth, number of leaves, plant
height, weight of 100 grains average weight of cob and grain yield) of maize while kidney bean recorded increment in growth and yield parameters.

This experiment was conducted in the green house of the Department of Soil Science and Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City. The aim of the study was to ascertain the heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Cr and As) contents of Amaranthus cruentus raised on soils from dumpsites from different land uses in the University of Benin. The experiment was laid outin a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replicates. Six different dumpsites were carefully selected in the Ugbowo campus of the University of Benin, three from learning centers and the other three from residential areas (students hostel). Soils collected from the dumpsites were filled into buckets and Amaranthus seeds were planted in them, and harvested at maturity. Soil and plant samples were taken to the laboratory to determine the physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal content present. Data obtained were subjected to Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) while LSD was used to separate means at 5% level of probability. Results obtained shows that soils from the dumpsites belong to the textural class: sand. Their pH was
moderately acidic and their TOC contents were 19.60 and 21.50 g/kg in the Learning center and Residential area respectively. The heavy metal studied were present in both soils, and there was no significant difference between the heavy metal content across the two dumpsites. The peak lead (Pb) content (1.30 mg/kg) was obtained in the learning center while the peak Cd, Cr, and As contents (0.037 mg/kg, 0.040 mg/kg and 0.040 mg/kg respectively) were recorded in the residential area.