This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of effluent and influent, from a beverage plant in Lagos state, using haematology, sperm assay, and impact of the physicochemical parameters on mice. The effluent and influent were collected in sterile bottles and were separately administered orally to 5 groups of mice at test concentrations of 6.5%, 12.5%, 25%, 50% and 100%. Mice in each group weighing approximately between 30 and 35 g were given 0.3ml/body weight of mice in each test concentration orally, daily for 21 days. Each treatment group and the control group comprised 3 mice. The resulting data showed that both test samples induced a dose-dependent, statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the number of sperms with abnormal morphology, haematology, as well as diverse histopathological changes in the liver. The samples were also analyzed for physicochemical properties with standard laboratory techniques. The results obtained revealed that both the effluent and influent samples contain constituents (e.g. Cd, Cr and Ni) in quantities and values that are capable of inducing mutation in the biological system. The interaction of some of these constituents with the genetic material in the differentiating cells during gametogenesis may be responsible for many sperm abnormalities observed in this study. Therefore, this study is important in environmental waste management, and for the assessment of the genotoxic effects of chemicals (both solid and dissolved) in wastewater.

Maize/soybean intercrop was established in the experimental farm of NCRI Badeggi. The design of the experiment was RCBD, with eight treatments and three replicates. The experiment was designed to investigate the comparative effects of mineral fertilizer, and two poultry manures on the growth parameters and yield of maize /soybean intercrop. The study evaluated the effects of broiler and local chicken manure applied each at the rates of 2 t/h, 4t/h and 6t/h with or without mineral fertilizer. NPK fertilizer at the rates of 40 kg/ha and 20kg/ha combined with poultry manures at the rates of 2 t/h and 4t/h respectively, while poultry manure at 6 t/h and NPK at 60 kg/ha were applied as sole treatments. There was a control treatment with neither poultry manure nor mineral fertilizer. Data were separately collected on the vegetative and yield parameters of both maize and soybeans. Agronomic activities such as weeding, thinning and applications of insecticides were appropriately carried out. Local chicken manure integrated with an ample quantity of NPK fertilizer enhanced the growth and yield parameters of both maize and soybean in maize soybean intercrop. Results obtained from this experiment indicated that local chicken manure at the rate of 2 t/ha and 4 t/ha integrated with NPK fertilizer, at the rate of 40kg/ha and 20kg/ha respectively, significantly influenced the number of cob per plot, cob weight per plot, grain weight per plot, days to 50% silking, as well as days to maturity in maize. Sole local chicken manure applied at the rate of 6 t/ha significantly enhanced plant vigour in soybean, three weeks after planting. The yield performance of maize crops treated with Local chicken manure surpassed those of sole broiler manure and sole NPK fertilizer. Results from this work also demonstrated the efficiency of poultry manure when integrated with commercial fertilizer.

The aim of this research was to analyze the allocative and technical efficiency of yam production using data envelopment analysis (DEA). A purposive and simple random sampling technique was used and 100 yam producers were selected using structured questionnaires. A non-parametric Data envelopment analysis was employed and both the allocative and technical efficiencies of the yam producers were investigated and examined. The result revealed that the majority (81% ) of the farmers are male, (39%) fall within the age range of 36-40 years and (75%) had some form of education, 57% had technical efficiency (TE) of (0.81) and above while 43% operate at less than 0.81 efficiency level. The mean technical efficiency was 0.78 while the mean allocative efficiency was 0.98. The result further indicated that yam farmers in the study area have achieved absolute efficiency in the use of variable inputs. Thus, it could be concluded that yam production in the study area was viable in terms of technical and allocative efficiency. It is, therefore, recommended that Government in partnership with the private sector should encourage farmers to increase their technical efficiency in yam production which could be achieved through improved farmer specific efficiency factors, which include improved farmer education, access to credit and access to improved extension services.

This study was carried out to evaluate the awareness and use of improved sesame production practices in Peri-urban areas of Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select the respondents for the study from five districts that make up peri-urban areas of Dutse. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires administered to 165 respondents out of which only 159 were found to be useful. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means and ranking. Finding from the study revealed that the means of age was 38.7 years. All were male, 85% were married and 76.7% had formal education. The mean household size was 10 persons whereas the mean farm size and mean farming experience was 2.2 hectares and 14 years, respectively. About 59% do not belong to any association. The result of Logit regression analysis indicated that out of the twelve variables modelled and regressed as explanatory variables, only three were found to have significantly influenced the adoption of improved sesame production practices of the farmers. These are level of education (0.062), farm size (0.091) and access to credit (0.031). The main problems encountered by the respondents were lack of processing machines (71.7%), poor capital base (58.5%) and non-availability of loans to farmers (57.9%). The study recommended the formation of associations that could lead to taking advantage of such associations in aiding increased funding by governmental or non-governmental lending agencies and other financial institutions which could alleviate these major problems bedevilling sesame production in the study area.

Tomato is one of the most important vegetables grown for their edible fruits with abundant vitamins that are essential for human diet. The constraint posed by soils low fertility has been a major production challenge in the tropics. This limitation can be resolved by adequate fertilizer application which increases the yield of crops. Hence, this study sought to determine the influence of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer rate on the growth and fruit yields of tomato. This study was established at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (7° 15′ N and 3° 25′ E). A variety of tomato (BESKE) was raised in the nursery for five weeks before being transplanted into 15 kg bag of sterile soil with NPK (15:15:15) applied at different rates (60, 90 and 120 kg N/ha; 400, 600 and 800 kg/ha) 3 weeks after planting. Data collected was on plant height, number of leaves/plant, number of branches/plant, number of flowers/plant, fruit yield/ha and average fruit weight per hectare (ha). The data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using SAS edition 9.0 and significantly different means separated using LSD and Duncan multiple range test (DMRT) at a probability level of 5%. NPK 15:15:15 application at 60 kg N/ha is suitable for tomato (beske) production as it best influences the growth and yield parameters (fruit yield of 9.8 t/ha). A calibrated rate of 34.2 kg N/ha of NPK 15:15:15 with an estimated fruit yield of 11.2 t/ha is also recommended for further studies.