IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i4p3383-d1066440.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Investigation of the Nutrient Composition of Fluted Pumpkin ( Telfairia occidentalis ) under Herbicide Treatment

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen Okiemute Akpasi

    (Chemical Engineering Department, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa)

  • Kigho Moses Oghenejoboh

    (Chemical Engineering Department, Delta State University, Oleh Campus, P.M.B. 22, Oleh 334109, Nigeria)

  • Hassan Oriyomi Shoyiga

    (School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa)

  • Sammy Lewis Kiambi

    (Chemical Engineering Department, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa)

  • Thembisile Patience Mahlangu

    (Chemical Engineering Department, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa)

Abstract

During the 2013 and 2014 harvest seasons, field and laboratory experiments were conducted in Nigeria’s inferred agroecological zone. The nutritive value of fluted pumpkin ( Telfairia occidentalis ) leaves was evaluated by measuring the levels of carbohydrate, protein, fat, ash, dietary fiber, and moisture content in Telfairia occidentalis using the standard analytical methods. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and repeated four times. Three separate applications of paraquat herbicide (non-selective) at rates of 100, 150, and 200 L ha −1 were applied to the treated plots. Comparative studies of the nutritive value of T. occidentalis were observed in the treatment and control plots. The effects of herbicides showed that the proximate composition of the T. occidentalis leaves of the treated plot was 70% carbohydrate, 29% protein, 1.8% fat, 1.7% dietary fiber, 7.9% ash, and 8.7% moisture. In contrast, the values of the control plots were 6.5% carbohydrate, 1.9% protein, 1.5% fat, 1.2% dietary fiber, 7.0% ash, and 7.9% moisture. The results show that paraquat herbicide spray increased moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate, ash, and vegetable yields in the treated plot and that T. occidentalis leaves are rich in lipids, fiber, and protein. As a result, the control plot’s fiber, carbohydrate, protein, ash, and moisture content decreased drastically without using paraquat. These results demonstrate that herbicides can affect the nutritional yield of T. occidentalis by eliminating weeds alongside the main crops ( T. occidentalis) in the agroecological zone of south-eastern Nigeria. Therefore, if consumed in sufficient quantities, the studied leafy vegetables will significantly contribute to the nutritional needs of human health and the Nigerian population’s food security.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Okiemute Akpasi & Kigho Moses Oghenejoboh & Hassan Oriyomi Shoyiga & Sammy Lewis Kiambi & Thembisile Patience Mahlangu, 2023. "Investigation of the Nutrient Composition of Fluted Pumpkin ( Telfairia occidentalis ) under Herbicide Treatment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-12, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:3383-:d:1066440
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/3383/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/3383/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Muhammad Hasnain & Jiawei Chen & Nazeer Ahmed & Shumaila Memon & Lei Wang & Yimei Wang & Ping Wang, 2020. "The Effects of Fertilizer Type and Application Time on Soil Properties, Plant Traits, Yield and Quality of Tomato," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Matin Qaim, 2020. "Role of New Plant Breeding Technologies for Food Security and Sustainable Agricultural Development," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 129-150, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stéphan Marette & John Beghin & Anne‐Célia Disdier & Eliza Mojduszka, 2023. "Can foods produced with new plant engineering techniques succeed in the marketplace? A case study of apples," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(1), pages 414-435, March.
    2. Vincent Smith & Justus H. H. Wesseler & David Zilberman, 2021. "New Plant Breeding Technologies: An Assessment of the Political Economy of the Regulatory Environment and Implications for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Zoltán Lakner & Brigitta Plasek & Gyula Kasza & Anna Kiss & Sándor Soós & Ágoston Temesi, 2021. "Towards Understanding the Food Consumer Behavior–Food Safety–Sustainability Triangle: A Bibliometric Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-23, November.
    4. Aras Türkoğlu & Kamil Haliloğlu & Metin Tosun & Piotr Szulc & Fatih Demirel & Barış Eren & Henryk Bujak & Halit Karagöz & Marek Selwet & Güller Özkan & Gniewko Niedbała, 2023. "Sodium Azide as a Chemical Mutagen in Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.): Patterns of the Genetic and Epigenetic Effects with iPBS and CRED-iPBS Techniques," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Mengjie Tian & Mingyong Hong & Ji Wang, 2023. "Land resources, market-oriented reform and high-quality agricultural development," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 4165-4197, December.
    6. Jayson Beckman & Maros Ivanic & Jeremy Jelliffe, 2022. "Market impacts of Farm to Fork: Reducing agricultural input usage," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 1995-2013, December.
    7. Rafał Nowak & Małgorzata Szczepanek & Joanna Kobus-Cisowska & Kinga Stuper-Szablewska & Radomir Graczyk & Karolina Błaszczyk, 2024. "Relationships Between Photosynthetic Efficiency and Grain Antioxidant Content of Barley Genotypes Under Increasing Nitrogen Rates," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-21, October.
    8. Fatma Bibi & Asifa Hameed & Noor Muhammad & Khurram Shahzad & Iftikhar Ahmad & Tawaf Ali Shah & Abdel-Rhman Z. Gaafar & Mohamed S. Hodhod & Mohammed Bourhia & Hiba-Allah Nafidi, 2023. "Potential of Integrated Nutrient Management to Rehabilitate the Dieback-Affected Mango Cultivar Sammer Bahisht Chaunsa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-14, July.
    9. Nasser Al-Suhaibani & Mostafa Selim & Ali Alderfasi & Salah El-Hendawy, 2021. "Integrated Application of Composted Agricultural Wastes, Chemical Fertilizers and Biofertilizers as an Avenue to Promote Growth, Yield and Quality of Maize in an Arid Agro-Ecosystem," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-26, July.
    10. Catherine Feuillet & Kellye Eversole, 2023. "An integrated, systems-wide approach is needed for public–private partnerships to drive genetic innovation in crops," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(7), pages 1-4, July.
    11. Linda Ferrari, 2022. "Farmers' attitude toward CRISPR/Cas9: The case of blast resistant rice," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(1), pages 175-194, January.
    12. Martina Occelli & Jorge Sellare & Kauê De Sousa & Matteo Dell'Acqua & Leida Mercado & Saul Paredes & Juan Robalino & Juan Carlos Rosas & Jacob van Etten, 2024. "Group‐based and citizen science on‐farm variety selection approaches for bean growers in Central America," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 55(2), pages 270-295, March.
    13. Stetter, Christian & Sauer, Johannes, 2022. "Agroforestry Adoption in the Face of Regional Weather Extremes," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321173, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    14. Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina & Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan, 2024. "Can gene-editing accelerate the protein shift? Consumer acceptance of an upcycled meat-substitute," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    15. Xiankai Lei & Dongmei Yang, 2025. "Cultivating Green Champions: The Role of High-Quality Farmer Training in Sustainable Agriculture," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 2016-2046, March.
    16. Xiangwen Kong, 2025. "GMO approvals under pressure: How climate shocks shape policy across nations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(10), pages 1-20, October.
    17. Bright Owusu Asante & Benedicta Nsiah Frimpong & Maxwell Darko Asante & Stephen Prah & Stephen John Ayeh & Bernard Sakyiamah & Negussie Zenna & Gaudiose Mujawamariya & Hale Ann Tufan, 2023. "Exploring Gender Differences in the Role of Trait Preferences among Stakeholders in the Rice Value Chain in Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-22, March.
    18. Marette, Stephan & Disdier, Anne-Celia & Beghin, John C., "undated". "A Comparison of EU and Us consumers' willingness to pay for gene-edited food: Evidence from apples," Staff Papers 303808, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    19. Kym Anderson, 2022. "Agriculture in a more uncertain global trade environment," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(4), pages 563-579, July.
    20. Alexandre Gohin, 2023. "On the sustainability of the French food system: A macroeconomic assessment," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(2), pages 860-880, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:3383-:d:1066440. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.