Effect of foliar application of moringa leaf extract on growth and yield of late sown wheat

Abstract

Abstract:Moringa oleifera leaf extract has a potential effect as a growth enhancer of many crops. An experiment was conducted at the Soil Science Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh to evaluate the effect of foliar application of moringa leaf extract on growth and yield of late sown wheat (BARI Gom-26). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with six treatments and three replications. The treatments were T 1 (Control), T 2 [moringa leaf extract (MLE) sprayed only at tillering stage], T 3 (MLE sprayed at tillering and jointing stages), T 4 (MLE sprayed at tillering, jointing and booting stages), T 5 (MLE sprayed at tillering, jointing, booting and heading stages), and T 6 (MLE sprayed only at heading stage). Application of moringa leaf extract significantly increased the growth and yield attributes as well as grain and straw yield of wheat. Among various treatments with moringa leaf extract the performance of T 4 (MLE sprayed at tillering, jointing and booting stages) was the best as it produced the tallest plant (87.87 cm), the highest fresh and dry weight of root (16.51 g and 11.37 g respectively), the highest number of spikelets spike -1 (19.70) and filled grains spike -1 (45.53), as well as the highest grain and straw yield (3.62 t ha -1 and 5.43 t ha -1 respectively) of wheat. Therefore, moringa leaf extract as a foliar spray can be applied at critical growth stages to increase the growth and yield potentiality of late sown wheat.

Assessing the Usefulness of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract as a Biostimulant to Supplement Synthetic Fertilizers: A Review

“…Moreover, the highest values of these parameters were observed using a 4% MLE application under field conditions. Similarly, the application of MLE (stock solution of 10 mL water with 320 g of fresh moringa leaves) during critical growth stages of late-sown wheat (i.e., in the tillering, jointing and booting stages) produced the highest grain and straw yields under field conditions [9]. The foliar application of 3% aqueous MLE was more effective in enhancing the growth, the biological and grain yields and the biochemical parameters of wheat than the control [75,77].…”

“…MLE has been identified as one of the most significant natural biostimulants due to its abundant minerals, phytohormones and antioxidants [9,17]. The preparation of this product using water [60] or 80% methanol [47] is both eco-friendly and cost-efficient, even though some farmers are still concerned about the toxicity of methanol.…”

“…Due to this importance, increasing wheat production using suitable management practices is of high importance [51]. The foliar application of MLE to wheat positively influenced plant height, fresh and dry root mass and certain yield components [9,52]. Merwad and Abdel-Fattah [51] showed that MLE treatments (derived from 20 g of moringa leaves mixed with 675 mL of 80% ethanol) significantly enhanced wheat yield parameters, such as total biomass, 1000-grain weight, straw and grain yield and yield efficiency, as well as protein content compared with control plants.…”

“…Moreover, subsistence and smallholder farmers in various developing countries may not be able to afford the purchase of such fertilizers due to their costs [3]. Recently, the continuous search for alternative, reliable and safe natural sources of plant nutrients has gained interest in achieving sustainable agricultural practices while, at the same time, improving crop productivity [6,9].…”

“…(colloquially known as moringa), is one such alternative crop, and is studied for its effect on the growth and yield of crops under standard and stressful conditions [4]. It naturally produces certain biostimulants, is easy to grow and has gained attention in the scientific literature [9,13]. Moringa is a plant in the Moringaceae family and is widely distributed across the tropical and subtropical regions, growing best in warmer growing environments [14].…”