Available online at www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com Scholars Research Library Archives of Applied Science Research, 2012, 4 (2):875-881 (http://scholarsresearchlibrary.com/archive.html) ISSN 0975-508X CODEN (USA) AASRC9 875 Scholars Research Library Effects of Moringa oleifera leaf extract and sodium hypochlorite seed pre- treatment on seed germination, seedling growth rate and fungal abundance in two accessions of Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench Nwangburuka, C.C. 1 *, Oyekale K 1 ., Ezekiel, C.N 2 ., Anokwuru, P.C. and Badaru O 1 1 Department of Agriculture and Industrial Technology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria 2 Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Effects of Moringa oleifera leaf extract and Sodium hypochlorite seed pre-treatment on the seed germination, seedling growth rate and fungal activities in two accessions of Abelmoschus esculentus was examined in the Crop laboratory of Babcock University. Seed viability and seedling vigour were assessed according to ISTA, 1985; while the blotter paper method was used to determine the seed microflora. Mycological analysis was carried out by isolating and identifying fungal flora on potato dextrose agar plates. Okra seeds of CCN2005/2 and Clemson spineless varieties were pre-treated with 2.5%, 5% and 10% of Moringa leaf extract; while Sodium hypochlorite, NaOCl, was administered at 4%, 5% and 6%. A control with no seed pre-treatment was also included. Ten viable seeds, randomly selected from the seed lots of each accession, were dipped into treatment solutions for five minutes, after which it was withdrawn and prepared for further tests. Germination tests were carried out on 85mm diameter petri dishes, lined with moistened Whattman filter paper; with three replications for each treatment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The two okra accessions reacted differently to different concentrations of NaOCl and Moringa leaf extract. The accessions were not significantly different for the seed viability and seedling vigour variables evaluated. Results further reveal that 4% and 6% of NaOCl inhibited the population of fungal growth; while Moringa extract reduced fungal growth and population on both accessions. Fusarium had the highest (67.5%) occurrence on seed fungal population. Penicillium however had the lowest (3.5%). This study explained the fact that pre-treatment of seeds before storage with Moringa reduces the possibility of fungal infection and also maintains the viability and vigour of the seed for a particular time period, depending on the seed type. Keywords: seed viability, seedling vigour, seed microflora, seed pre-treatment. ______________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is specially valued in different parts of Nigeria for its delicious fruits and it is consumed alone or in a combination with other food. Nutritionally the richest part in okra is the dried seed [1] Okra is a widely cultivated vegetable crop and can be found in almost every market in Africa due to the fact that its leaves, buds and flowers can be edible. In Ghana it’s the fourth most popular vegetable after pepper, tomatoes and garden eggs [2] In Nigeria, vegetables are widely grown during both dry and rainy seasons. The rainy season is bimodal i.e. its early crop usually begins as soon as the rain starts in March / April and ends during a short dry spell in August to October / November. However the climate, especially rainfall and temperature, varies during the early and late season in ways that influence the yield of the crop [2]. Food security remains a challenge in developing countries like Nigeria. Guaranteeing food security involves intensifying agricultural production and provision of appropriate processing techniques. Pre-treatment is a technique