Journal of Environmental Biology

Phyotoxicity of diesel soil contamination on the germination of Lactuca sativa and Ipomoea batatas

Kayode Fatokun¹*, Francis Bayo Lewu² and Godfrey Elijah Zharare¹

¹Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, Kwa-Dlangezwa 3886, South Africa

²Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Wellington Campus,

Wellington, Western Cape 7655, South Africa

*Corresponding Author E-mail: kayfatokun@yahoo.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

04 October 2014

Revised received:

03 April 2015

Accepted:

04 June 2015

Abstract

Phytotoxic effect of diesel contaminated soil on germination rate of Lactuca sativa and Ipomoea batatas, at two concentrations ranges (0-6ml and 0-30ml), were investigated and compared. Diesel soil contamination was simulated and soil samples were taken from contaminated soil at 1, 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 75 and 100 days should be after planting. The result showed that in both plant species, diesel inhibited germination in a concentration dependent manner, Also, the influence of diesel contamination diminished with increased time duration; suggesting possible reduction in diesel toxicity over time. However, germination of lettuce was significant and negatively correlated (r²= -0.941) with diesel contamination as compared to sweet potato (r²= -0.638).Critical concentration of diesel in relation to seed germination of L. sativa was lower than vegetative germination of I. batatas, indicating that germination of I. batatas was less sensitive to diesel contamination as compared to L. sativa. ????  

 Key words

Diesel contamination, Germination rate, Ipomoea batatas, Lactuca sativa,Phytotoxicity 

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