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Effects of Moringa on Growth Yield Snap Beans.
Extracts from fresh Moringa leaves could be used to produce an effective plant growth enhancer, increasing yield.
ABSTRACT:
Two field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of Moringa leaf extract on the growth, yield and yield components of snap bean. The results showed that Moringa leaf extract applied at 11, 20, 33 and 50% concentration to snap bean plants at 10 days after emergence significantly (P = 0.05) increased vegetative growth, leaf chlorophyll content, plant dry matter (shoot and root), yield components and fresh pod yield. The snap bean response to increasing Moringa extract concentration was quadratic with respect to plant height, leaf area, leaf number, leaf chlorophyll content, shoot dry matter and root dry matter. However, Moringa leaf extract significantly (P = 0.05) reduced shoot and root water contents. Due to the Moringa extracts-induced increase in vegetative growth, leaf chlorophyll content, yield components and yield of snap beans, it was concluded that Moringa leaf extract could be used to enhance the growth and development of snap beans.
Since animal protein is more expensive than plant protein, legumes are important in less developed countries for the supply of relatively inexpensive proteins for rural and urban populations. However, grain yield of commercial crops of common beans is less than 1.0 tons/ha in most developing countries. In order to meet the rising food demand, emphasis has to be put on improving yields per hectare. This can be achieved through plant breeding, biotechnology and application of plant growth regulators to positively modify plant growth to economic advantage.
Extracts from fresh Moringa leaves could be used to produce an effective plant growth enhancer, increasing yield by 25-30% for nearly any crop [5]. The active growth enhancing substances in Moringa leaf extract are reported to be zeatin, dihydrozeatin and isopentyladenine which are natural (endogenous) cytokinins [5,6]. The moringa leaf is also composed of proteins, minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and phenolics.
The use of Moringa leaf extracts as a possible plant growth enhancer or natural plant growth regulator has the potential to increase agricultural production. A number of factors such as naturally-occurring toxicants (glycoalkaloids in potatoes), natural contaminants (mycotoxins and bacterial toxins), heavy metals (cadmium, arsenic, lead and mercury), environmental pollutants, pesticide residues and microbial contamination threaten the safety of fruits and vegetables. The use of Moringa leaf extract as a possible plant growth enhancer can provide a relatively environmentally safe, easily accessible and affordable means of increasing crop yields to meet the increasing demand of food. The use of natural plant growth enhancers could improve the situation for small scale and commercial farmers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam) leaf extract on growth, yield and yield components of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).
Two field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of Moringa leaf extract on the growth, yield and yield components of snap bean. The results showed that Moringa leaf extract applied at 11, 20, 33 and 50% concentration to snap bean plants at 10 days after emergence significantly (P = 0.05) increased vegetative growth, leaf chlorophyll content, plant dry matter (shoot and root), yield components and fresh pod yield.
The snap bean response to increasing Moringa extract concentration was quadratic with respect to plant height, leaf area, leaf number, leaf chlorophyll content, shoot dry matter and root dry matter. However, Moringa leaf extract significantly (P = 0.05) reduced shoot and root water contents. Due to the Moringa extracts-induced increase in vegetative growth, leaf chlorophyll content, yield components and yield of snap beans, it was concluded that Moringa leaf extract could be used to enhance the growth and development of snap beans.
CONCLUSION
Due to the induced increase of vegetative growth, yield and yield components of snap bean plants by Moringa leaf extract, it was concluded that Moringa leaf extract has the potential to be used as a natural growth enhancer as a cheap source of plant growth hormones to modify the growth and development of snap beans plants. The researcher recommended that further studies on Moringa leaf extracts be investigated on other crops.
More in detail about this study:V. E. Emongor1
http://sciencedomain.org/abstract/7220
DOI : 10.9734/BJAST/2015/14795
Effects of Moringa Leaf Extract on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Snap Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris.
A Study of V. E. Emongor.
This work was carried out by author VEE, who designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, interpretation and discussion of data, literature searches, wrote, edited and proof read the final manuscript.