NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT
Journal of the Faculties of Science and Agriculture, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
ISSN: 1119-9008
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-NJSE
Email: njse@universityjournals.org
IMPACT OF SOIL SOLARIZATION ON AMARANTHUS VIRIDIS AND MICROBIAL POPULATION
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-NJSE.17.085.3 | Article Number: 88C06C8 | Vol.10 (3) - December 2011
Authors: Emoghene A. O. and Futughe E. A.
The impact of solarization on the growth of Amaranthus viridis and soil microbial population was carried out in a plot. After solarization, soil maximum temperature was 48.67oC at 5cm depth and 40.00oC at 10cm depth in solarized and unamended bed (C). The heterotrophic bacteria popu- lation showed increase in post-solarization with a mean count of 2.98x106cfu/g as compared to presolarization with a mean count of 2.25x106cfu/g in solarized and amended bed (A). Bacillus sub- tillis, Pseudomonas sp. Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sp. and Micrococcus varians were isolated from both pre- and post-solarized bedss. Population of fungi in all beds appear to be more in the post-solarization than in pre-solarization. Post-solarization of solarized and amended plot (A), showed a total mean count of 3.24x106cfu/g compared to a total mean count of 1.98x106cfu/g in pre-solarization. The fungi commonly isolated from both pre- and post-solarization were Aspergil- lus niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. tamari, Penicillium notatum, P. chrysogenum, Mucor sp., Rhizopus stolonifer and Trichoderma viridis which was higher in post-solarization while My- cosphaerella fijiensis, Cladosporium sp. and Helminthosporium sp. were found only in pre- solarization. In solarized and amended bed (A), Amaranthus viridis grew to a mean height of 104.69cm from an original mean height of 2.91cm while non-solarized and amended bed (B), A. viridis grew to a mean height of 41.86cm from an original mean height of 2.91cm. In solarized and unamended bed (C), A. viridis grew to a mean height of 94.27cm from an original mean height of 2.89cm. However, in the non-solarized and unamended bed (D), A. viridis showed the least with a mean height of 36.60cm at the end of the experiment from an original mean height of 2.91cm. Solarization had significant effect on the heights of Amaranthus viridis even at higher probability level (P<0.0005).
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