Assessment of Nutritional Composition and Heavy Metal Levels in Okra and Tomato Crops Treated with Liquid Biofertilizer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63561/jacsr.v2i4.1018Keywords:
Sustainable Agriculture, Liquid Biofertilizer, Nutritional Quality, Food Safety, Heavy MetalsAbstract
The shift towards sustainable agriculture has intensified the use of liquid biofertilizers as alternative to synthetic fertilizers due to their role in improving soil health and plant nutrient uptake; but there are limited studies on their impact on the nutritional quality and toxicological safety of produce. This study is designed to assess the impacts of liquid biofertilizer on the nutritional and heavy metal concentrations of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) crops. Okra and Tomato crops were treated with liquid biofertilizer containing microbial consortia (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Bacillus cerus, Bacillus licheniformis, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Azotobacter chroococcum). The proximate composition (%) for harvested Okra and tomato fruits treated with biofertilizer were; ash content (0.83±0.04 and 1.00±0.00); carbohydrate content (8.31±0.04 and 9.93±0.00); Fibre content (15.91±1.35 and 8.55±0.06); Lipid content (0.50±0.01 and 0.43±0.01); moisture content (98.60±0.03 and 87.45±0.02), protein content (6.52±0.02 and 5.66±0.04) and vitamin C content (Mg/Kg) (112.22±1.57 and 94.46±0.02) respectively. The heavy metal concentrations (mg/Kg) from harvested fruits ranged from 1.87±0.028 - 38.025±0.035; 0.00±0.00 - 4.46±0.269; 69.00±0.14 - 183.67±0.03 and 0.00±0.00 for Zinc, Lead, Iron and copper, respectively. Statistically, the treatments were significant at P<0.000 for concentrations of the heavy metals by the both plants. This study concludes that the use of the tested liquid biofertilizer is not only an effective strategy for boosting the productivity of okra and tomato but also a safe and valuable method for enhancing the nutritional value of the harvest, thereby recommending its integration into sustainable food production systems.
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