Experimentally Discharged Spent Engine Oil (An Environmental Pollutant) on Soil Reduced the Growth, Yield, and Seed Proximate Content of Arachis hypogea L Under Equal Environmental Conditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Spent engine oil (SOE) has been indiscriminately disposed into the environment; yet, fewer records have focused on exposing the effect of the oil on food production. We investigated the effect of the oil (pollutant) on vegetative growth, yield, and proximate content of the seeds of an economic crop (Arachis hypogea). The upper layer of sandy-loam soil was collected in an area prone to indiscriminate emptying of the spent engine oil, mixed with poultry manure (4:1 kg), then transferred into polythene bags. Using a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of four treatments, Arachis hypogea were sown at a depth of 4 cm in the soil. After germination, vegetative parameters of the seedlings were measured before pollution. After pollution, vegetative parameters, including yield and proximate content of the plant were measured. Results indicate that vegetative indices of the control (0 ml SEO) group and the other treated groups T1 (100 ml SEO), T2 (200 ml SEO) and T3 (300 ml SEO) were not significantly (p ≤ 0.05) different before pollution. After pollution, there was a decline in plant height, yield (number of pods), number of leaves, stem circumference, and the leaf area. The moisture, ash, fat, carbohydrate, crude protein, and fiber of the plant were also reduced when compared with the control group. Indiscriminate discharge of spent engine oil could be hazardous to plants of the environment and food production.