Ahamefule Emeka Henry
@unilorin.edu.ng
Senior Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture
University of Ilorin
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Soil Science, Agronomy and Crop Science, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Multidisciplinary
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
E. K. Eifediyi, A. Imam, H. Ahamefule, F. Ogedegbe and Heophilus Olufemi Isimikalu
Purpose Sawdust, an organic residue abounds in many parts of Nigeria; they often block drainage channels, sometimes burnt to further aggravate the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, it can be harnessed as soil amendment.
Method A field experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Ilorin, Nigeria during the 2018 and 2019 wet seasons to evaluate the performance of four sesame varieties using sawdust biochar. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design, replicated four times. The main plots consisted of four varieties of Sesame (E-8, Ex-Sudan, NCRI-Ben001M, and NCRI-Ben002M), the subplots were sawdust biochar (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 Mgha-1). Data were collected on water holding capacity, plant height, and number of leaves, leaf area index, and yield per hectare. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were separated using new Duncan Multiple Range test at 5% level of probability.
Results Results showed significant (Ƿ ˂0.05) effects of variety, and sawdust biochar rates on plant height, number of leaves, leaf area index, crop growth rate and yield per hectare. Variety NCRI-Ben001M gave a yield of 670 kgha-1 at the application rate of 15 tha-1 sawdust biochar (676 kgha-1) compared to the average yield of sesame in Nigeria.
Conclusion Farmers are therefore encouraged to cultivate NCRI-Ben001M variety and use saw dust biochar at the rate of 15 Mg ha-1 for optimum yield.
Ehiokhilen Kevin EIFEDIYI, Grace Adejoke ILORI, Henry Emeka AHAMEFULE, and Abduquadir Yusuf IMAM
University of Ljubljana
Soils of the southern Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria are inherently infertile due to shortened fallow period and the continuous use of inorganic fertilizer which depletes the soil of micronutrients such as zinc over time. A field trial was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Ilorin, Nigeria during the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons to evaluate the effect of zinc and NPK fertilizer on the growth, yield and zinc concentration of seeds of sesame. The experiment was laid out as a factorial fitted into a randomized complete block design (RCBD), replicated thrice. The treatment consisted of four levels of ZnSO4 (0, 5, 10 and 15 kg ha-1) and four levels of NPK 15:15:15 (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1). Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were separated using new Duncan multiple range test at 5 % level of probability. Results obtained showed significant effects of Zn and NPK rates on plant height, number of leaves, yield per plot and yield per hectare. The application of 15 kg ha-1 Zn and 300 kg ha-1 (15:15:15) NPK resulted in high yield and high zinc content of seeds.
E.K. Eifediyi, O.A. Komolafe, H.E. Ahamefule, and A. Falola
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Abstract A field trial was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Ilorin during the 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons to assess the effect of tillage methods and poultry manure application on the growth and yield of sesame. The experiment was laid out as a split plot arrangement, fitted into a randomized complete block replicated thrice. The factors consisted of three tillage methods and four levels of poultry manure application (0, 5, 10, and 15 tha−1). The result revealed that tillage and poultry manure significantly (P<0.05) increased the growth and yield of sesame. Increasing the rate of poultry manure resulted in an increase in the net assimilation rate, relative growth rate, and crop growth rate. The yield in 2016 was higher than that of 2015 due to higher rainfall and residual effect of the previous cropping season. Yield per hectare was optimized using conventional tillage method and poultry manure at 15 tha−1. Although the conventional tillage and poultry manure treatments produced the highest yield, the control plot gave the highest cost and returns (return per investment) in the two years of study due to high cost of farm inputs. The result of the study further affirms farmer’s reluctance on the use of external inputs for yield enhancement in sesame.