A preliminary study on the effects of E-Safe Treatment of Crude Oil Impacted Soil on microbial load, seed germination and Morphological Indices in Cowpea Seedlings
Effectiveness of E-safe© product Treatment of Crude Oil Impacted Soil on seed germination and Morphological Indices in Cowpea Seedlings was investigated at the Teaching and Research screen house of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Hezekiah University, Umudi, Imo State. The study was conducted on soil sample collected from aged crude oil polluted site in Rivers State. E-safe product was artificially spiked in each of the 4kg soil at 0 ml, 6 ml, 12 ml, 24 ml, and 48 ml and arranged in a Completely Randomized Design. The percentage germination and morphological parameters were estimated for a period of two (2) weeks. Microbial load was determined using basic microbiological protocols. At 0ml/kg (polluted untreated) there was a drastic inhibition in germination inhibition (46%) compared to the treated soil group in which the germination percentage was estimated to be higher (79%). Morphological indices of Cowpea were negatively affected by crude oil impacted soil. Crude oil contamination of the soil led to significant decrease in contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophylls in cowpea seedlings but treatment with E-Safe product obviously improved the chlorophyll contents in seedling grown on E-safe treated soil. The highest bacterial load was obtained from 48ml (3.29 x106 CFUg-1) soil samples while the least values were gotten from control (1.02 x106 CFUg-1). The highest fungal load was obtained from 24ml soil (0.91 x106 CFUg-1) while the least was recorded at the control soil (0.05 x106 CFUg-1). The mineral components of the E-safe product could have acted as effective substance in the total removal of oil contaminants in the contaminated soil. Based on the results of this study, treatment of crude oil impacted soil with E-safe improved germination and early seedling growth of cowpea and could be used in reclamation of crude oil impacted agricultural soils in the tropics.
Keywords: E-Safe Treatment, Crude Oil, Soil, seed germination, Morphological Indices, Cowpea
