WHAT IS THE NEED FOR STUDENT'S RESEARCH PROJECTS, IF THEY CAN NOT GO FURTHER THAN THE BOOKSHELVES OF THEIR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS & COLLEGES?

MY INSTANCE; THE EFFECT OF NEEM (aka dogoyaro) ON THE STORABILITY OF MELON, WAS MY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WORK!!!

 

Actually this was my personal under graduate research work in 1996/97 at the National Root Crop Research Institute Umudike Abia State Nigeria. It is very important I share this knowledge, the result of my academic research work with you while the real thing may continue to rot away on the shelve. This work was carried out under a highly monitored laboratory environment with the aim of finding out the effect of the various parts of the tree, NEEM'' on the insects that affects the storability of MELON in Eastern part of Nigeria. As you all would attest, MELON is a very important staple food produce in Nigeria.

 

The research started sometime in 1996 with eight set specimen and four control experiments. I introduced a recorded number of ''storage melon insects' in two of the controls and left two controls with out any insect. This was after I had gathered and processed, personally crushing and drying under the sun for two weeks , NEEM SEEDS, NEEM LEAVES and NEEM WOOD ASH. Each of these NEEM products were tested to find out which one will be more effective in preventing the destructive effects of the ''melon storage insects''. The NEEM products were introduced separately into the plastic containers containing the well sun dried melon with each product haven a control with and without insect and monitored for five months.

 

The result was impressive and if taken further could lead to a better storability of melon if not the eradication of the major storage problem of melon in Nigeria. The NEEM SEED was very effective. In one of the containers I introduced crushed NEEM SEED and MELON insects, all the insects died, while the container I introduced NEEM seed without insect, not one single insect infestation was noticed.

 

The NEEM WOOD ASH and NEEM DRIED LEAVE CRUSH were less effective as the insects did not multiple but remain the same and looked sluggish. Remember I introduced a recorded number of insects in each experiment. The WOOD ASH and DRIED LEAVE CRUSH made it difficult for the insects to multiply while the controls with only insects were like Xmas for the insects and that without any insect saw multitude of insect infestation. And to further confirm the efficacy of NEEM SEED, two weeks before the end of the experiment, I introduced CRUSHED NEEM SEED into the highly naturally infested MELON container and within two days all the insects died.

 

This my research work has been laying on the bookshelves of the National Root Crop Research Institute Umudike sine 1996/97 without any single call up ever since. My research Supervisor in the person of Dr Okafor will bear me witness. If you look carefully, you will also find other very good research works by other ex students from the various Nigerian institutions of higher learning laying in waste on their various departmental and college bookshelves with only but grade ''A'' awarded to the student to show for. Nigerian Higher institutions need to change their ways and let innovation research take it's pride of  place where the degrees are awarded.

 

 

Frank Uche Dibia Is A Blogger, Political Adviser,

Social Commentator and Economic & Public Policy Analyst