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Effects of diesel fuel
contamination on seed germination of four crop plants -
Arachis hypogaea, Vigna unguiculata, Sorghum bicolor and
Zea mays
Erute Magdalene Ogbo
Department
of Botany, Delta State University, P.M.B 1 Abraka, Nigeria.
E-mail:
erute70@yahoo.com.
Accepted
8 December, 2008 |
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The effects of different levels (%) of diesel fuel
contamination on four crop plants Arachis hypogaea, Vigna
unguiculata, Sorghum bicolor and Zea mays were
studied. One percent level of contamination did not
significantly reduce seed germination in Z. mays and
S. bicolor but did in A. hypogaea and V.
unguiculata (P<0.05). The 2.00% level of
contamination reduced germination in A. hypogaea.
Germination was reduced with increasing levels of
contamination in the four test plants. There was total
inhibition of germination in S. bicolor and
V. unguiculata in 4.00% level of contamination. There
was no significant difference in percentage seed germination
between 2.00, 3.00, and 4.00% levels of contamination in
Z. mays. The 4.00% level of contamination had more
deleterious effect than 5.00% for Sorghum and
Vigna species. Diesel fuel contamination caused a
reduction in the length of the radicle for the four crop
plants and this varied with the level of contamination. It
was observed that 5.00% level contamination did not affect
the radicle length of V. unguiculata
significantly. Diesel fuel contamination also caused a
reduction in the plumule length of Z. mays and S.
bicolor. The shortest plumule was recorded in 5.00%
level of contamination for Z. mays and 3.00% in S.
bicolor. The phytotoxicity of the different levels of
diesel fuel contamination on seed germination indices thus
varied with the type of crop plant. The study indicates
that Z. mays and A. hypogaea
have more potential for use in phytoremediation of diesel
fuel contaminated soils than S. bicolor and
V. unguiculata.
Key
words:
Diesel fuel, contamination, germination, crop plants,
phytotoxicity. |
