Abstract

Agbogidi O. M.

Laboratory studies were carried out in 2008 at the Plant and Soil laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Delta State University, Asaba Campus, Delta State, Nigeria to investigate the response of six cultivars (IT81D-699, 1T82 (e-18), IT84S-2246-4, TVx3236, IT90K-277-2 and IT870-94-1) of cowpea to spent engine oil. Seeds of the six cultivars of cowpea were presoaked in water for 24 hours and thereafter, soaked in spent engine oil for varying hours (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16). Other seeds were soaked in the oil for 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 days before germinated in Petri dishes lined with moist tissue paper. The results showed that the percentage germination, days to germination and rate of germination of the cowpea cultivars were both periods of seed soaking in oil and cultivar dependent. The results also showed that the longer the hours of seed presoaking in the oil, the poorer the germination response of the seeds. No germination occurred while seeds were still in the oil. TVx3236 followed by IT84S-2246-4 were more tolerant among the cowpea cultivars examined hence could be considered for phytoremediation practice in oil producing areas of the Niger Delta