Samuel Echezonachi Okere

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Federal University of Technology Owerri

Background and Objective: High cost of conventional feedstuff is a major constraint to commercial livestock production in Nigeria. Leguminous crop residues are abundant and cheap and can fill this gap but are of considerable low quality. This study investigated the effect of P. ostreatus on three leguminous crop residues.

Investigations were carried out to screen five tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) varieties for resistance to Fusarium Number of Number of Number of Wilt in 2008 cropping season. These varities included ROMA VF, UC82R (IMP), Sokoto local, Jos local and Zaria local which is the control. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Desig...

p> This study aims to evaluate the role of edible fungi in the biodegradation of mushroom substrate by comparing the mineral and proximate composition of a pasteurized substrate before inoculation (BI) with the spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on cassava peels and sawdust. The experiment was conducted at the Federal...

The effects of wood ash and poultry waste as a replacement for wheat/rice bran and lime in mushroom cultivation and the assessment of the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the fruiting bodies were evaluated. T1 (Sawdust, 2% wheat bran and 2% lime (control)), T2 (Sawdust+2% poultry manure + 1% wood ash), T3 (Sawdust+ 2% poultry manure+ 2% wood ash)...

This present study was undertaken to assess the effect of plant spacing \ density and intercropping on the wilt disease of tomato in the year 2015. The study was designed as a 4x4 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design with four (4) replications. Data on growth parameters and disease incidence on tomato were collected and statistically analy...

The influence of plant spacing and intercropping on the growth and septoria leaf spot disease incidence and severity of tomato were studied in Owerri, the south east of Nigeria, in the year 2011.The study was designed as a 4x4 factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three (3) replications. Data on growth parameters and septoria leaf sp...

The experiment was conducted on the effects of some mulching materials and some tomato cultivars on the growth parameters and wilt disease of tomato. The design used was 3 x 4 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), in four (4) replications. The work was carried out in 2015 cropping seasona at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Sch...

Young people are avid social media users and, as such, might be prone to mental health issues because of the comparison of the kind of life they see on social media. The study was anchored on the social comparison theory; hence, it investigated the influence of social media on the mental health of Afe Babalola University undergraduates. The survey...

The effectiveness of Persea americana (Avocado), Musa sapientum (Plantain), Veronia amygdalina (Bitter leaf), Colocasia esculenta (Cocoyam) and Carica papaya (Pawpaw) leaves were compared in the preservation of habanero pepper (Caspicum chinense) against storage rot for a period of six weeks. Habanero pepper are tender and have high water content w...

White rot fungi species are basidiomycetes with the inherent capacity and capability to degrade lignocelluloses using extracellular enzymes like peroxidase, laccase, and oxidase, producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). These microorganisms are utilized during the process of recycling carbon in lignocelluloses which constitute the most available and abu...

An experiment was conducted in 2018 at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of the Crop Science and Technology. School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The study was done to evaluate the responses of cercospora leaf spot fungal disease of sweet (bell) pepper to mor...

A field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated five (5) times. The treatments used included dry palm bunch, wood shavings, p...

Direct spraying of synthetic chemicals on consumable produce and products is a major concern of consumers and most times treated grains fail the regulatory maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides. In a bid to circumvent direct sprays of insecticides on produce, this study, carried out at the Laboratory of the Department of Crop Science and Tech...

This study describes the bioconversion efficiency and yield of Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) Kummar, cultivated on cassava and sugarcane peels substrates. Two percent lime and wheat bran were added to stabilize the pH and enrich the substrate with nitrogen. The treatments for this investigation comprised T1 (100% cassava peels-control), T2 (75...

The study was conducted to determine the influence of some plant extracts as fungicides in the control of rot diseases of yam species in storage in Owerri, Southern Nigeria. The experiment was carried out in the laboratory of Crop Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Two varieties of yam (Dioscorearotundataand Dioscorea...

Okra, one of the most important fruit vegetable crops cultivated and consumed throughout Nigeria, is often infested by diverse field insect pests, especially the flea beetle Podagrica spp., which impinges on its growth and productivity. The application of synthetic pesticides has been the generic insect pests' control measure due to its touted effe...

This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of wheat bran on the yield and bioconversion efficiency of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on an equal mixture of cassava peels and sawdust-based substrates. Two per cent lime was added to stabilise the pH of the substrate while different levels of wheat bran, namely C/N 17:0, C/N 17:1...

Farmers all over the world spend millions of dollars to partially control plant diseases that attack their crops using agrochemicals that pollute the environment. Plant diseases reduces crop yield, quality and shelf life. Enhancing the inherent ability of plants to resist diseases using elicitors and minerals is one of the neglected, sustainable, l...

The effects of different concentrations of poultry waste on such parameters as Mean mushroom weight/yield (MMW), Mean Number of mushroom (MNM), Growth cycle, Biological efficiency (B.E), Bioconversion efficiency, dry matter loss, age of the substrate at first fruiting, and mushroom quality of Pleurotus tuber-regium grown on corn cob supplemented wi...

An experiment was set up in the 2014 and 20015 cropping seasons to compare the effect of organic wastes as humanure and rumen digesta on soil heavy metal concentration and growth characteristics of cucumber in an Ultisol in Imo State, southeast Nigeria. The study was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the School of Agriculture and Agric...

The microbial characterization of two spent mushroom substrate (SMS) from Pleurotus osteratus (Jacq. ex Fr.) P. Kumm and Pleurotus tuber-regium (Rumph. ex Fr.) Singer were investigated. The microbiological properties of the spent mushroom substrate were determined using standard methods. Quantitative microbiological analysis revealed that P. ostera...

The effect of Pleurotus osteratus spent mushroom substrate water extract on the growth and growth parameters of cassava propergated through meristem tissue culture was investigated. The cassava plantlet (tms 98/0505) were propergated at the Tissue Culture Laboratory ,Biotechnology unit,National Root Crop Research Institute , Umudike Umuahia Abia St...

This study investigated the effect of the water extract from spent mushroom (Pleurotus tuber-regium) substrate (autoclaved) on the mineral compositions and resistant elicitors and on the growth, yield and management of African cassava mosaic virus. The treatments for this investigation comprised of cassava plants treated with autoclaved and unautoc...

Antifungal activities of Nicotiana sylvestris and Chromoleana odorata against phytopathogenic fungus of onions bulb were assessed at the Plant Physiology Laboratory, University of Port Harcourt Nigeria. The result of the phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavoniods, alkaloids, phenols and glycosides in both plants...

Evaluation of rumen digesta as a source of plant nutrient in owerri southeast Nigeria was carried out in 2014.The assessment involved the identification of all the Abattoirs in the city, the species of ruminant animals slaughtered, and economic analysis of a rumen digesta enterprise in owerri, imo State Nigeria. The raw data emanating from the stud...

The possibility of cultivating Pleurotus osteratus var florida on corn husk using different concentrations of poultry waste as supplement was investigated. Two percent lime was applied to stabilize the pH of the substrate .Poultry wastes at 0, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 % on dry weight basis of the substrate was used to enrich the corn husk. The experiment...

Waste re-cycling through edible mushroom cultivation was investigated. Edible mushroom species used in this study include Pleurotus tuber-regium , Pleurotus osteratus var florida and Volvariella volvacea , while the agricultural wastes include corn cob, corn husk and poultry waste (used as an additive).Two kilogrammes of each waste/substrate was mi...