The Effect of Soil Compaction Caused by Motorized Traffic on The Growth Pattern of Egusi-Melon (Collocynthus Citrillus L.)

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of soil compaction resulting from vehicular traffic on the root development and yield of egusi-melon (Collocynthus Citrillus L.). Egusi-melon, a vital crop in many regions, faces challenges from anthropogenic activities such as vehicular movement, leading to soil compaction. Soil compaction can impede root growth and ultimately affect crop yield. A 15x51m2 field was manually cleared with a cutlass and divided into three blocks of four plots each. The soil was compacted using a 35.5kN wheel tractor. Treatment consisted of 0, 1, 5, and 10 passes (wheel-wheel) of the tractor and was replicated three times. After these seedbeds were prepared where we planted the egusi-melon seeds, the seedling emergence and root development were measured after 1 and 3 weeks respectively. This was noticed by taking into account the number of seeds planted and the number germinated per plot. This was determined by observing the total number of germinated seeds per plot after 1 and 3 weeks. This was done by observing the seedling emergence after 1week and uprooting the plant washing the roots and then measuring with a meter rule after about 3 weeks. The results were recorded plot by plot. Through field experiments and root analysis, this study examines the extent of root growth inhibition caused by varying levels of soil compaction. Additionally, yield parameters including fruit quantity, size, and quality are evaluated to ascertain the consequential effects on crop productivity. The seedling emergence is relatively inversely proportional to the number of traffic. The root development was maximum (9.5cm) in the 0-pass treatment and lowest (2cm) in the 10-pass treatment. This result is similar to those of Dvorster and Polyak (1979) and Asoegwu (1987) and deviated slightly from those of Chancellor (1976) and Jagagrd (1975). The deviation is attributable to the extent of soil water status at the time of the traffic. Findings from this research contribute to understanding the ecological consequences of vehicular traffic on agricultural lands and provide insights into potential mitigation strategies for sustaining egusi-melon cultivation amidst anthropogenic disturbances.