The effects of soil polluted with crude oil on cassava plant growth

Description

The effects of soil polluted with crude oil on cassava plant growth.

Abstract

The effects of crude oil on cassava plant (Manihot esculenta) were carried out in the field using perforated polythene bags. The soil samples were polluted with four different concentrations of crude oil[50vol/weight,100vol/weight, 150vol/weight, and 200vol/weight] and the unpolluted soil served as control. The mean result obtained after eight weeks showed that plant height, number of leaves, petiole length and internodes length decrease with an increase in crude oil concentration. The study shows that crude oil pollution of soil has a serious effect on the growth of cassava and possible on yield also. It was therefore recommended that effort should be made to reduce oil spillage into the environment.