EFFECT OF CRUDE OIL POLLUTION ON GERMINATION, SEEDLING GROWTH AND YIELD OF THREE VARIETIES OF ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS

The effect of crude oil pollution on germination, seedling growth and yield of three varieties of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) were investigated. Three varieties of okra were planted in a well-drained humus soil polluted with 0%, 0.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% crude oil per kilogram of soil. Data were collected on the following parameters: days to seedling emergence, percentage germination, plant height, internodes length, leaf area, number of leaves per plant and number of fruits per plant. The results show that there were significant difference (p < 0.05) in the days to seedling emergence and percentage germination. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed on internodes length but plant height differed significantly (p < 0.05) due to the concentrations of the crude oil in the soil. It can be concluded that the three varieties of okra used in these study were not tolerant to crude oil effect; in order to achieve a better performance of the plant in crude oil polluted environment, remediation of the polluted soil should be carried out before cultivation.