Varietal performance and correlation of okra pod yield and yield components
Abstract Field irrigation experiments were conducted to assess the varietal performance and correlation of pod yield and yield attributes under irrigation at the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, during the 2015 and 2016 dry seasons. The results revealed that the most outstanding for fresh pod yield per plant were okra cultivar Kwadag Y’ar gagure Salkade, and Kwadam, in descending order, with yield ranging from 580.38 to 622.67 g, while the Composite cultivar had the lowest value of pod yield of 428.62 g over the two years. The greatest average values for the number of pods per plant and the number of primary branches per plant were observed for Salkade and Y’ar gagure, respectively. Highest fresh pod length and fresh pod diameter were also exhibited for Salkade and Kwadag. The genotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the phenotypic variation for the entire yield-contributing characters. Days to 50% flowering were positive and highly significant differences associated with plant height, number of pods per plant, and fresh weight per pod could be observed. Path coefficient analysis showed that the number of pods per plant exhibited positive and direct influence on the pod yield across the studied years. Indirect influence of other yield components through this character also contributed mainly towards pod yield. Therefore, days to 50% flowering, plant height, pod length, number of pods per plant, pod diameter, number of primary branches per plant, and fresh weight per pod could be taken into consideration for the selection and development of high pod-yielding varieties in okra.
Genetic interrelationship among quantitative traits and path analysis of some West African okra (Abelmoschus caillei) genotypes
Abstract. Thirty-six entries of a half diallel cross were evaluated at the Teaching and Research Farm, Adamawa State University, Mubi in 2012 and 2013 under rain fed conditions. The investigation was conducted to study inter-character correlations and path coefficient analyses of yield related traits in West African okra. Fresh pod yield exhibited highly significant (P≤0.01) positive correlation with pods/plant, pod length, branches/plant, pod diameter and leaves/plant. Pod length recorded a highly significant positive correlation with plant height, pod diameter, number of leaves/plant, branches/plant and pods/plant. Similarly, pod diameter had a highly significant positive correlation with plant height, number of leaves, branches and pods/plant. Furthermore, number of pods/plant and branches/plant recorded highly significant positive correlation among yield related traits except plant height. The path coefficient analysis of fresh pod yield and yield related traits showed that number of pods/plant gave the highest direct contribution and percentage yield contribution of 47.83%, followed by pod diameter which contributed 4.58%. Also the highest combined contribution of 14.43% came from pods/plant and pod diameter. Residual percentage contribution was 30.64% revealing that pod yield attributes in this study explained 69.36%. This investigation suggests that pods/plant and pod diameter can be considered as selection criteria for the improvement of West African okra genotypes.
Microbial flora of frozen tail meat from captive Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus).
Frozen tail meat samples from nine Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) were evaluated for microbial numbers and types. Microbial analyses yielded a mean aerobic plate count (APC, 30 degrees C) of 4.86 log cfu/g, a mean coliform count (TC, 37 degrees C) of 3.77 log cfu/g and a mean faecal coliform count (FC, 44 degrees C) of 3.40 log cfu/g. Salmonella was isolated from three samples, and beta-haemolytic streptococci from two samples. Yersinia, Aeromonas, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were not isolated. Typical bacterial genera recovered included Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Moraxella, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.