Growth Response of Abelmoscus esculentus (L.) Monench Planted in Lead Contaminated Soil.

This study was carried out in the undergraduate project plot of the department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin from March to July 2020, to determine the impact of lead contamination on okra plant. A field experiment was conducted using 4 levels of Pb pollution namely 25, 50, 75, 100 mg/kg and control. Each bag containing 5 kg of air dried sandy loam soil was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Five (05) seeds were sown in each bag. All bags were watered regularly. Plants were thinned down to one per bag after a week of emergence. Data on morphological parameters such as seedling emergence (%), plant height (cm), number of leaves, number of leaves lost, leaf area (cm2), stem girth (cm), root length (cm), chlorophyll content, flowering and number of fruits per plant were taken. Chemical analysis of soil was carried out before contamination and after the experiment. Protein content (%) was determined using the micro - Kjeldahl method. The results showed that at (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between the control and the treated plants in emergence percentage with control having the 60.00±10.69 percent emergence and the 50mg/kg treatment having the lowest (57.14±8.08) emergence percentage). Similar results were obtained for other morphological parameters. There was however significant adverse effect on chlorophyll and 
protein content.