ABSTRACT

The experiment was carried out in Calabar which was aimed at investigating the direct and indirect effect of solid wastes dumpsite leachate on growth attributes, yield, and yield components, and cytology of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in 2018. The leachate used for the study was obtained from the dumpsite in Calabar and made into four concentrations of 25 ml/L soil; 50 ml/L; 75 ml/L and 100 ml/L using 0 ml/L as control plot and these were used to treat 1 kg loamy soil in a polybag for each plot. The seeds of watermelon were sown directly in the polybags containing the treated soil. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) in the field and laboratory with three replications. The growth characteristic evaluated included vine length (cm), number of leaves per vine, number of branches per vine, leaf length (cm), leaf width (cm), and leaf area (cm2). Yield and yield components evaluation in the study included a number of flowers per vine, number of fruits per vine, the weight of fruit (kg), circumference of fruits (cm), and the number of seeds per fruit. Cytological aberrations and effects studied included mitotic index, mitotic inhibition, number of clump cells, the total number of aberrant cells and percentage aberration in the plant cells. The data gathered from the field and laboratory experiments were collated and subjected to statistical analysis using the ANOVA procedures and separated significant means using Fischer's least significant difference (LSD) test at a 5% probability level. The findings revealed that all the attributed evaluated for growth, yield, and cytogenetics all showed an inverse relationship with increasing concentration of leachate in growth medium. The study revealed that there was an absolute adverse effect of leachate on the growth, yield, and cytological attributes of watermelon, Citrullus lanatus in Calabar. The solid wastes dumpsite leachate directly and adversely affected the vine length which ranged from 17,55 to 88.50cm. The number of leaves per vine varies from 4 to 26, number of branches per vine was from 2 to 6, leaf length ranged from 5.22 cm to 15.97 cm, leaf width shows 2.00 cm to 10.30 cm while leafing areas varies from 62.44cm2 to 164.13 cm2  all from control plot to the 100 ml/kg soil treated plot. Increasing concentration of leachate also adversely affected the number of water melon fruits per plant from 11 to 1.00, number of fruits per vine from 5 to 0, number of aborted flowers from 8.66 to 26.33, the weight of fruits reduces from 4.60 to 0.00kg, circumference of fruits reduced from 33.33 to 0.00cm, the number of seeds per fruits decreases from 23 to 0.00 with increasing leachate in the growth medium. It was also gathered from the study that solid wastes dumpsite leachate contains heavy metals which are injurious to plant cells and cytological attributes like 100 % mitotic index at 100ml/kg soil concentration of leachate, 150% mitotic inhibition, a high number of clump cells, 10 aberrant cells, and a 100 % cellular aberration.

1. 1. This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research work
2. 2. As a source for additional understanding of the subject.
3. 3. As a source for ideas for your own research work (if properly referenced).
4. 4. For PROPER paraphrasing (see your university definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase)
5. 5. Direct citing (if referenced properly)
Thank you so much for your respect to the authors copyright.